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Homeless Veterans Committee Sec. Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans -- Five-Year Plan Unveiled at Homeless Summit WASHINGTON – Today, at the “VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki unveiled the department’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness among Veterans by marshalling the resources of government, business and the private sector. “President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years,” said Shinseki. “Those who have served this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope.” Shinseki’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness includes preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated Veterans re-entering society, supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families and a national referral center to link Veterans to local service providers. Additionally, the plan calls for expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing. “Our plan enlarges the scope of VA’s efforts to combat homelessness,” said Shinseki. “In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless Veterans off the streets. Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless.” Other features of the plan outlined by Shinseki include: · The new Post-9/11 GI Bill provides a powerful option for qualified Veterans to pursue a fully funded degree program at a state college or university. It is a major component of the fight against Veteran homelessness. · VA is collaborating with the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration to certify Veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses for listing on the Federal Supply Register, which enhances their visibility and competitiveness – creating jobs for Veterans. · VA will spend $3.2 billion next year to prevent and reduce homelessness among Veterans. That includes $2.7 billion on medical services and more than $500 million on specific homeless programs. · VA aggressively diagnoses and treats the unseen wounds of war that often lead to homelessness – severe isolation, dysfunctional behaviors, depression and substance abuse. Last week, VA and the Defense Department cosponsored a national summit on mental health that will help both agencies better coordinate mental health efforts. · VA partners with more than 600 community organizations to provide transitional housing to 20,000 Veterans. It also works with 240 public housing authorities to provide permanent housing to homeless Veterans and their families under a partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The VA/HUD partnership will provide permanent housing to more than 20,000 Veterans and their families. Over the duration of the conference it is expected that over 1,200 homeless service providers from federal and state agencies, the business community, and faith-based and community providers will attend and participate in the summit. “This is not a summit on homelessness among Veterans,” added Shinseki “It’s a summit on ending homelessness among Veterans.” # # # People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs Distribution List.
Homeless Veterans Committee MEETING MINUTES Crowne Plaza Hotel 8 October 2009 5:00 – 7:00 PM [ Download the Minutes - PDF ] News from the National alliance to end homelessness HUD Releases 2008 Homelessness Data Last Thursday, July 9, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, which reveals virtually no change from 2007 to 2008 in the level of overall homelessness. The report, the fourth of its kind, includes point-in-time count data from January 2008 and twelve months of shelter use data that comes from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) in over 200 communities. This is the first release of national homelessness data that was collected since unemployment began increasing up in the Spring 2007 and since the recession began in Fall 2007. The result appears to suggest that the economy is having an impact of homelessness, as the "no change" result reflects an abrupt halt to the decreases in family, chronic, and overall homeless measured from 2005 to 2007. The full report can be downloaded from the HUD website. You can also view the Alliance's press release and blog post for more information about the findings and the Alliance's response. A presentation on these results by the authors of the report will occur during the "New Data on Homelessness" workshop at the Alliance's National Conference of Ending Homelessness later this month. More female veterans are winding up homeless The number of female service members who have become homeless after leaving the military has jumped dramatically in recent years, according to new government estimates, presenting the Veterans Administration with a challenge as it struggles to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. As more women serve in combat zones, the share of female veterans who end up homeless, while still relatively small at an estimated 6,500, has nearly doubled over the last decade, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. For younger veterans, it is even more pronounced: One out of every 10 homeless vets under the age of 45 is now a woman, the statistics show. And unlike their male counterparts, many have the added burden of being single parents. HUD OFFERS PERMANENT HOMES FOR MORE THAN 10,000 HOMELESS VETS U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today the final allocations of more than 10,000 vouchers to local public housing authorities across the country to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans. For a local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today, visit HUD's website. "Numerous men and women voluntarily leave their families and put their lives on the line to ensure that we, their fellow Americans, live safely in our homes," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who announced the $75 million in funding last month with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. "These vouchers offer veterans a permanent home and critically needed supportive services to those who have served our nation." national coalition for homeless veterans e-newsletter (july 2009) VA Seeks Proposals For Enhanced Use Lease for New Jersey Site [ Read the rest of the E-Newsletter ] America's Homeless Vets, a Causality of Epidemic Proportions The situation with Vietnam era veterans (Vets) is immoral, deplorable, and ongoing! This is a call to our government and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to update our benefits equal to other veterans, including current educational grants; employment training and placement; and guaranteed VA housing loans! Vietnam Vets need to keep their homes, re-education, and updated work skills. The golden years aren’t so golden and we have extended responsibilities, e.g. supporting ourselves beyond 62; helping our middle-aged children stay financially afloat; and in many cases… raising our grandchildren. The retirement age has been extended, now extend VA benefits to meet current living conditions. Help reduce poverty and homelessness, don’t continue to add to it! Read the rest of the article.Homeless Veterans e-newsletters
VA Announces Per Diem Awards for Homeless Assistance Homeless Veterans COMMITTEE REPORT Homeless Veteran Award BY SANDY MILLER, CHAIR Bobby J was a formerly homeless veteran in recovery, living in a transitional residence, who exhibited great courage not only in battling his addiction, but also in his battle with Agent Orange-related cancer. Bobby J never gave up the fight. He died in December 2001. Nominees for the Bobby J Award must meet the following criteria: • Must have been homeless • Must have completed a homeless domiciliary or transitional program • Must have obtained and maintained housing in the community for at least a year • Must be nominated by a VVA entity Those who submit nominations must include: • A copy of the nominee’s DD-214 or other proof of military service • Proof of program completion • A written nomination letter of not more than 500 words Nominations will be accepted until June 15. Send nomination packets to: Sandra Miller, HVC Chair, P.O. Box 557, Douglassville, PA 19518 The Homeless Veterans Committee will present a life membership in either VVA or AVVA. For additional information, email smiller@vva.org Before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Regarding Ending Homelessness for our Nation’s Veterans April 9, 2008 Mr. Chairman, and members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, my name is Sandra A. Miller. I served as a senior enlisted woman in the U.S. Navy from 1975 until 1981 and I currently chair Vietnam Veterans of America’s (VVA) Homeless Veterans Committee. Perhaps more importantly, I work with homeless veterans as the daily Program Coordinator of a transitional residence, one of the many programs provided by The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education Center. Our transitional residence receives funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program (HGPD) and operates under a shared lease agreement on the grounds of the Coatesville VA Medical Center. On behalf of VVA, I thank you and your colleagues for this opportunity to submit testimony sharing our views on the status of homeless assistance programs for veterans conducted by the VA. Homelessness continues to be a significant problem for veterans. The VA estimates about one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 154,000 veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Federal efforts regarding homeless veterans must be particularly vigorous for women veterans with minor children in their care. And those federal agencies that have responsibilities in addressing this situation, particularly the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, must work in concert and should be held accountable for achieving clearly defined results. [ Read testimony ]
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