VA grant to fight homelessness and improve transitional housing

The VHA Homeless Programs Office will award a $1 million grant to the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans Inc., under the Grant and Per Diem program to combat homelessness.

The program provides funding to community organizations that provide transitional housing and supportive services for veterans who are homeless, with the goal of helping them achieve residential stability, improved access to healthcare, and greater community integration and engagement.

“The Grant and Per Diem program is integral to VA’s continuum of services and resources to help veterans exit homelessness,” said Vince Kane, Wilmington VA Medical Center director. “The newly awarded grant to the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans Inc. advances VA’s commitment to partner with community experts to better address the unique needs and circumstances of individual veterans experiencing homelessness.”

“This is just another way VA is working to end veteran homelessness. Earlier this month, we organized a landlord fair with Department of Housing partners to educate local landlords on how to utilize HUD-VASH vouchers to permanently house veterans. The pandemic has really highlighted the need for affordable housing and other supportive services across all segments of our society,” said Kane.

GPD funding will support three different types of grants to address the unique needs of veterans experiencing homelessness.

Capital Grants provide funding for community organizations through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020. The funding supports capital improvements to GPD transitional housing facilities. The improvements result in less congregate and more individual unit-style housing, thereby improving personal safety and reducing risks associated with close-quarters living for veterans.

Case Management Grants are used to support case manager positions within community organizations. These positions provide services to help veterans retain housing stability, adequate income support and self-sufficiency.

Special Need Grants provide funding for community organizations that incur additional operational costs to help veterans with special needs who are experiencing homelessness, including women, individuals with chronic mental illnesses and veterans who care for minor dependents.

The GPD program has provided community-based transitional housing and supportive services since 1994. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by 50 percent since 2010, resulting from the GPD program and other VA efforts.

For list of GPD grantees and details about the program, go to va.gov/homeless/gpd.asp.

Wilmington VA Medical Center provides healthcare services to approximately 33,000 veterans through its main medical center and five community-based outpatient clinics in Delaware and southern New Jersey. For more information, go to va.gov/wilmington-health-care/.