North Florida Communities Partner to Help Homeless Veterans
October 18, 2010

 
Helping Homeless Veterans Who Gave So Much

By Cindy Gaylord
North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS) has awarded Grant and Per Diem contracts to four community agencies that are partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide transitional housing for homeless Veterans. 

The VA-funded contracts will mean a total of 60 new beds for homeless Veterans in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida.

The contracts are part of VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, one of the key components of the department’s plan to end Veteran homelessness in five years.  Community groups selected to receive the contracts are the Volunteers of America of Florida, Inc.; Southwest Florida Addiction Services, Inc; Steps to Recovery, Inc.; and West Care Gulf Coast Florida, Inc.

“The importance of these partnerships with community organizations is astronomical,” said Thomas A. Cappello, Director of the NF/SGVHS.  “VA is determined to do everything possible to end Veteran Homelessness and through these positive partnerships our task has become easier.”

The Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program provides grants and per diem payments to help public and nonprofit organizations establish and operate new supportive housing and service centers for homeless Veterans. The program is offered annually by VA.

Under the grant component of the program, VA may fund up to 65 percent of the project for the construction, acquisition, or renovation of facilities or to purchase van(s) to provide outreach and transportation services to homeless Veterans. The per diem component is available to grantees that already operate a program or facility to help off-set operational expenses. Agencies who are awarded per diem receive funds based on how many Veterans use their facility or services.  

VA’s strategy to eliminate homelessness among Veterans is to implement a “no wrong door" approach, meaning Veterans who seek assistance should find it in any number of VA’s programs, from community partners or through contract services.

Under the VA Secretary’s action plan to end homelessness among Veterans, the department will continue to offer a full range of support necessary to end the cycle of homelessness by providing education, jobs, health care and counseling, in addition to housing. VA will increase the number and variety of housing options available to homeless Veterans and those at risk, including permanent, transitional, contracted, community-operated and VA-operated housing. Most importantly, VA will target at-risk Veteran populations with aggressive support intervention to try to prevent homelessness before it starts.

For more information on the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and other services visit http://www.northflorida.va.gov/services/homeless/. Additionally, VA has a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838), www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCallCenter.asp.

Homeless Veterans Salute the American Flag (Flag not shown)