Fattah Announces $3 Million in Grants to End Veteran Homelessness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 16, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has renewed $3 million in grant awards to two organizations in his district to support programs and services that will prevent and end veteran homelessness in Philadelphia.

Project H.O.M.E. will receive $2 million in VA renewal funding, and the Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF) will receive $1 million. The grant awards will support case management, outreach, and other VA benefit assistance to prevent veteran homelessness and ensure that Veterans who become homeless can be quickly re-housed. Nationwide, grants were given to 286 nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives in all 50 states.

“I am proud to announce the renewed VA funding that will help these two organizations to reach more low-income veteran families already without housing or at-risk of losing their homes. Ensuring that our nation’s Veterans have the necessary resources and support to find and sustain permanent housing options must continue to be one of our highest priorities,” Congressman Chaka Fattah said. “This renewed grant funding will help support the excellent outreach, services, and assistance that Project H.O.M.E and UESF continue to offer to Philadelphia’s veteran community.”

The grants announced today are the last in a series of funding awards made available in FY 2014 for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program. It will support SSVF services in FY 2016, which begins on October 1, 2015.

In a release, VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald said, “SSVF grants empower our local partners to provide short-term-focused interventions that promote housing stability among the most economically vulnerable Veterans and their families. Whether they need rental or child care assistance, transportation vouchers or another type of support, SSVF grantees offer Veterans the mix of services they need to gain housing and stay housed.”

Today’s funding announcement is a continuation of the Obama administration’s goal to eliminate veteran homelessness. Since 2010, there has been a twenty-four percent reduction in Veteran homelessness in the United States. Additional information on the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program can be found here.