WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sept. 13, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it awarded $137 million in grants through VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program to help Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and their families.
These grant awards supplement the previous FY 2022 SSVF grants, increase the number of Veterans who are eligible for SSVF assistance, and allow the 150 non-profit organization grantees to expand on existing services for Veterans and their families. These grants are being awarded in addition to the FY 2023 SSVF Grants, which were announced on Aug. 1.
In this calendar year, VA has already placed more than 22,000 homeless Veterans into permanent housing — putting VA on track to meet its goal of 38,000 permanent housing placements for homeless Veterans in 2022.
“It’s our job to remove the barriers that stand between homeless Veterans and the homes they need and deserve, including rising rental costs, cumbersome rental processes, and more,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “These grant funds will empower our trusted VA partners to help homeless and at-risk Veterans through the entire housing process — from identifying a home to affording it to making it their own.”
The SSVF grant awards can be used for:
- Supporting Veterans with HUD-VASH vouchers and connecting them with landlords from whom to rent.
- Providing incentives to encourage landlords to rent to Veterans. Grantees will be permitted to provide up to the equivalent of two months’ rent to landlords as a fee for any lease of not less than one year when necessary to assist a Veteran in remaining in or obtaining permanent housing.
- Providing additional funds for move-in expenses to improve Veterans’ quality of life by giving them essential items and home furnishings to help turn their house into a home.
- Expanding program eligibility by lifting the income limit for participants from 50% to 80% of the Area Median Income in designated communities. This is significant because Veterans who previously may not have been eligible for assistance due to income restrictions can now receive assistance with identifying and obtaining permanent housing from SSVF grantees’ housing navigators.