B*N*S*N4

VA targets $39 million for homeless veterans

3/11/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs is allocating $39 million to fund about 2,200 new transitional housing beds through grants to local providers.

"VA is committed to ending the cycle of homelessness among Veterans,"
said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will use every tool at our disposal - health care, education, jobs, safe housing - to ensure our Veterans are restored to lives with dignity, purpose and safety."

The $39 million in funding is broken into two categories. About $24 million in grants are available to renovate or rehabilitate space to create about 1,000 transitional housing beds. The grants put a priority upon housing for homeless women and housing on tribal lands.

A second group of grants, valued at about $15 million, is expected to fund about 1,200 new beds for homeless providers who already have suitable transitional housing. The grants will provide per diems based upon the number of homeless Veterans being served in transitional housing.

VA is the largest federal provider of direct assistance to the homeless, with 14,000 transitional beds in operation or development. About 107,000 Veterans are homeless on a typical night. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has committed the department to ending homelessness among Veterans within five years.

For more information, visit VA's Web page for the grant and per diem program at www.va.gov/homeless or contact VA's program office at 1-877-332-0334, or e-mail VA at homelessvets@va.gov... (source)

If this is really true, it certainly does qualify as a loooooong overdue B*N*S*N story. One homeless veteran is one too many. Stay tuned, and PAY ATTENTION!