One of the most gut wrenching, heartbreaking things I've had to deal with while working with veterans is telling a man or woman with a family that there were no resources available to assist them as their world collapsed around them and they hit the bricks. The rate of burn-out for those of us in street outreach and case management is high, and a large part of the responsibility of this is vicarious trauma; that is, suffering trauma from hearing, feeling and dealing with the trauma of our clients, consumers, customers, fellow human beings. It takes its toll on the soul, the psyche and the spirit, chipping steadily away until one day you awaken with irreversible compassion fatigue and basically, you just can't take any more trauma.
The other very frustrating part of working with these folks is that you know, YOU KNOW, that with just a little assistance, the person in question would be able to weather the storm and land back on their feet. Unfortunately, until very recently, thanks to programs like the HPRP, those new to homelessness or teetering on the brink really had "nuthin comin" in the way of resources or available help.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program
Overview: Public Law 110-387 authorized VA to develop the new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. Under the SSVF Program, VA will award grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives who will provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families residing in or transitioning to permanent housing. The grantees will provide a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability to eligible very low-income Veteran families.
Background: Estimates for Veteran homelessness have dropped substantially in the past five years from 313,000 in 2003 to 107,000 in 2009. However, despite the success of VA Homeless Programs and its community partners, to end Veteran homelessness, VA must continue to assist families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing and prevent at-risk families from becoming homeless.
Eligible Veteran Families: To receive supportive services under this program, you must be:
1. A member of a Veteran family: A Veteran family is defined as a single person or a family in which the head of household or the spouse of the head of household is a Veteran.
2. Very low-income: Your household income does not exceed 50% of area median income (as adjusted).
3. “Occupying Permanent Housing:” You either (a) are residing in permanent housing; (b) are homeless and scheduled to become a resident of permanent housing within 90 days pending the location or development of housing suitable for permanent housing; or, (c) have exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days to seek other housing that is responsive to your needs and preferences.
| Supportive Services: Through the SSVF Program, VA aims to improve very low-income Veteran families’ housing stability. Grantees (private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives) will provide outreach and case management services and will assist participants to obtain VA benefits and other public benefits, which may include: § Health care services § Daily living services § Personal financial planning services § Transportation services § Fiduciary and payee services § Legal services § Child care services | § Housing counseling services § Temporary financial assistance, including time-limited payments to third parties for rent, utilities, moving expenses, security and utility deposits, transportation, child care and emergency supplies |
Application Process: Once funds are available, VA will publish a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register. Once the NOFA is released, details about the application process will be posted to the SSVF website (http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp) and http://grants.gov.
Additional Information: For further information about the SSVF Program, please email SSVF@va.gov, call 1-877-737–0111, or visit http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.
Overview: Public Law 110-387 authorized VA to develop the new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. Under the SSVF Program, VA will award grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives who will provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families residing in or transitioning to permanent housing. The grantees will provide a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability to eligible very low-income Veteran families.
Background: Estimates for Veteran homelessness have dropped substantially in the past five years from 313,000 in 2003 to 107,000 in 2009. However, despite the success of VA Homeless Programs and its community partners, to end Veteran homelessness, VA must continue to assist families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing and prevent at-risk families from becoming homeless.
Eligible Veteran Families: To receive supportive services under this program, you must be:
1. A member of a Veteran family: A Veteran family is defined as a single person or a family in which the head of household or the spouse of the head of household is a Veteran.
2. Very low-income: Your household income does not exceed 50% of area median income (as adjusted).
3. “Occupying Permanent Housing:” You either (a) are residing in permanent housing; (b) are homeless and scheduled to become a resident of permanent housing within 90 days pending the location or development of housing suitable for permanent housing; or, (c) have exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days to seek other housing that is responsive to your needs and preferences.
| Supportive Services: Through the SSVF Program, VA aims to improve very low-income Veteran families’ housing stability. Grantees (private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives) will provide outreach and case management services and will assist participants to obtain VA benefits and other public benefits, which may include: § Health care services § Daily living services § Personal financial planning services § Transportation services § Fiduciary and payee services § Legal services § Child care services | § Housing counseling services § Temporary financial assistance, including time-limited payments to third parties for rent, utilities, moving expenses, security and utility deposits, transportation, child care and emergency supplies |
Application Process: Once funds are available, VA will publish a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register. Once the NOFA is released, details about the application process will be posted to the SSVF website (http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp) and http://grants.gov.
Additional Information: For further information about the SSVF Program, please email SSVF@va.gov, call 1-877-737–0111, or visit http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.
