VA Announces New Grants to Help End Veteran Homelessness in Tampa Bay
6 Million dollar grant to target At-Risk Vets and Families in High Need Communities,
awarded to St. Vincent de Paul, South Pinellas.
In addition to the $300 million in Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program grant awards announced on August 11, 2014 serving 115,000 Veterans and their family members, today Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald announced the award of $207 million in SSVF grants that will help an additional 70,000 homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families. The grants will be distributed to 82 non-profit agencies and include “surge” funding for 56 high need communities, one of which is St. Vincent de Paul, South Pinellas, in St. Petersburg.
During the brief history of this program, VA has helped tens of thousands of Veterans exit homelessness and prevented just as many from becoming homeless. The “surge” funding will enable VA to strategically target resources to high need communities where there are significant numbers of Veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
St. Vincent de Paul plans to serve at least 800 veteran families in the upcoming year. “Homelessness among our veteran population is completely unacceptable in this country”, said Michael Raposa, Chief Executive Officer. “These brave men and women fought tirelessly for our freedom – it is time that we, as a community, fight on their behalf for their right to live in dignity.”
St. Vincent de Paul is in its third year of SSVF funding and received 2 million dollars for three years for a total of 6 million dollars granted today. Last year they assisted four-hundred ninety-one veteran families (rapidly rehousing 303 and supporting 188 through prevention services). “The successful business model deployed in Pinellas/Pasco is being started in Hillsborough County. We are 100% confident we will end the plight of homeless veterans quickly and permanently”, said Michael Raposa. “Today’s news is only the beginning of good things to come!”
Under the SSVF program, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide services to very low-income Veteran families living in – or transitioning to – permanent housing. Those community organizations provide a range of services that promote housing stability among eligible very low income Veteran families (those making less than 50 percent of the area median income). The grants announced today will fund the fourth year of the SSVF program.
Under the terms of the grant, St. Vincent de Paul offer Veterans and their family members’ outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and assistance in receiving other public benefits. They can also offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of Veterans for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and moving costs.
#Veterans #HelpfortheHomeless #SVdP
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