December 13, 2011



Obama Administration on Track to End Veteran Homelessness by 2015,

Announces $100 Million to Expand Homeless Prevention Program

WASHINGTON
– The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development
today announced that a new national report shows that homelessness
among Veterans has been reduced by nearly 12 percent between January
2010 and January 2011. The 12 percent decline keeps the Obama
Administration on track to meet the goal of ending Veteran homelessness
in 2015. “This
new report is good news for the tens of thousands of Veterans we have
helped find a home. Our progress in the fight against homelessness has
been significant, but our work is not complete until no Veteran has to
sleep on the street,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki. “We have been successful in achieving this milestone due to
strong leadership from the President and hard work by countless
community organizations and our federal, state, and local partners who
are committed to helping Veterans and their families get back on their
feet.”HUD
Secretary Shaun Donovan added, “We’re absolutely headed in the right
direction as we work to end homelessness amongst those who have served
our nation. This significant decline tells us that the Obama
Administration is on the right path, working together across agencies to
target Federal resources to produce a sharp and measureable reduction
in Veteran homelessness. As we put forth in the first Federal plan to
prevent and end homelessness, there’s plenty of work ahead to reach our
goal, but these numbers validate the work done by both HUD and VA to
reach our nation’s homeless Veterans and get them into permanent
housing.” According
to the 2011 supplement to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)
released today, 67,495 Veterans were homeless in the United States on a
single night in January 2011 -- a significant reduction from last year’s
single night count of 76,329. Since
2009, working with over 4,000 community agencies, VA and HUD have
successfully housed a total of 33,597 Veterans in permanent, supportive
housing with dedicated case managers and access to high-quality VA
health care. The complete 2011 Annual Homeless Assessment Report will be
available in 2012.VA
also announced it will make $100 million in grants available to
community agencies across the country to prevent nearly 42,000 Veterans
and their families from falling into homelessness or to quickly return
them to stable housing. The funds are offered for fiscal year 2012
through VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, a
homeless-prevention and rapid re-housing program. “The
problems that lead to homelessness begin long before Veterans and their
families are on the streets,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki. “By putting more resources into prevention services for
those at risk of becoming homeless, we will continue to help more
Veterans and their families turn their lives around.”Last
year, VA provided $60 million through the SSVF program to community
providers, which will affect nearly 22,000 people through 85 non-profit
community agencies in 40 states and the District of Columbia. The
program provides community organizations with funding for counseling,
training, education assistance, direct time-limited financial
assistance, transportation, child care, rent, utilities, and other
services aimed at preventing homelessness or providing homes for
participating Veterans and family members.The available funds were announced in a message posted in the Federal Register and at VA’s website, www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.
Private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives interested
in the grants have until February 15, 2012 to submit completed
applications.In
December 2011 and January 2012, VA will sponsor free workshops to
review the grant application process. Community organizations
interested in applying for funds under this program can use the website
to find dates for workshops in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, San
Francisco, and St. Louis. Community organizations seeking more
information on the SSVF program can also contact VA at 1-877-737-0111 or
at SSVF@va.gov.http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2234