3.6 Ending Homelessness for Veterans and Their Families Speaker: Stacy Vasquez In order to reach the federal goal of ending veterans homelessness by 2015, new grants such as Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) have recently been released. This workshop will look at how these and other programs will be implemented to prevent homelessness and help homeless veterans and their families reconnect to housing in their communities.

1. Presented by:
Stacy Vasquez, BS, MLA
Deputy Director
Homeless Veteran Initiatives
Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs

2. Veteran Homelessness
Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2011 Annual
Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress estimated that on any
given night in 2011 there were approximately 67,495 homeless Veterans.
A decline by 12% since 2010.
“We will provide new help for homeless Veterans because those heroes
have a home – it’s the country they served, the United States of America.”
-President Obama (March 16, 2009)
“Those who have served this nation as Veterans should never find
themselves on the street, living without care and without hope.”
-Secretary Eric K. Shinseki (November 3, 2009)

3. Homeless Program
VA Mission and Strategy
Overarching Mission:
• Reduce the number of homeless Veterans to zero
Strategy:
• Transformed from temporary and shelter-based options to
prevention, employment, and permanent housing solutions --
HUD/VASH is the largest, most effective option
• Engaged leadership and unprecedented public partnerships
• Comprehensive Situational Awareness through data sources and
modeling capabilities

4. VA’s Plan to Prevent and
End Homelessness Among
Veterans
• VA developed a National Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness Among Veterans
• VA’s Plan:
 Coordinates Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), National Cemetery
Administration (NCA) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) efforts at the local
level
 Coordinates Federal Interagency efforts with regional, state and local community
planning strategies
• VA’s Plan is based on six integrated pillars:
1. Outreach/Education
2. Treatment Services
3. Prevention Services
4. Housing/Supportive Services
5. Income/Employment/Benefits
6. Community Partnerships

5. Homeless Program Specific Purpose Budget
Allocation by VISN
(as of July 2011)

6. FY11 and FY12 Specialized
Homeless Program Budgets
2011 2012
Obligations ($000) Actual Current Estimate
Permanent Housing/Supportive Services
HUD-VASH case management $ 119,603 $ 201,500
Subtotal $ 119,603 $ 201,500
Transitional Housing
Grant & Per Diem $ 148,097 $ 194,477
Grant & Per Diem Liaisons $ 24,312 $ 29,700
Other - Sustainment $ 19,261 $ 12,673
Health Care for Homeless Vets (HCHV) - Sustainment $ 103,535 $ 55,639
Health Care for Homeless Vets (HCHV) - Initiative $ 97,273 $ 79,099
Subtotal $ 392,478 $ 371,588
Prevention Services
Supportive Services Low Income Vets & Families $ 60,541 $ 100,000
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV) $ 5,316 $ 3,100
Justice Outreach Homelessness Prevention Initiative $ 22,489 $ 21,621
HUD-VA Pilots (VHPD) $ 1,128 $ 5,366
Subtotal $ 89,474 $ 130,087
Treatment
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Vets (DCHV) - Sustainment $ 194,105 $ 164,934
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Vets (DCHV) - Initiative $ 27,833 $ 36,370
Substance Abuse Mental Health Enhancement $ 1,928 $ 5,700
Expansion of Homeless Dental Initiative $ 9,198 $ 9,954
Subtotal $ 233,064 $ 216,958
Employment/Job Training
Homeless Veterans Supported Employment Program (HVSEP) $ 22,886 $ 31,784
Homeless Ther. Empl, CWT & CWT/TR - Sustainment $ 73,420 $ 57,743
Subtotal $ 96,306 $ 89,527
Administrative
Getting to Zero $ 2,637 $ 3,340
National Homeless Registry $ - $ 6,000
Subtotal $ 2,637 $ 9,340
PROJECTED GRAND TOTAL $ 933,562 $1,019,000

7. Risk Factors for Homelessness
• Poverty
• Lack of health and supportive service
• Lack of public assistance
• Under Employment or Unemployment (low wages, job loss)
• Lack of child support
• Disabling psychological conditions (PTSD, MST)
• Domestic violence
• Drug/alcohol abuse
• Physical and mental illness
• Challenges readjusting to civilian life

8. Housing/Supportive Services Department
of Housing & Urban Development/VA
Supportive Housing
(HUD-VASH)
Housing & Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH):
• To provide long-term case management, supportive services and permanent housing through a
cooperative partnership between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the
Department of Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Program
• HUD and VA cooperative partnership, provides long-term case management, supportive services
and permanent housing support
Accomplishments to Date:
• Over 37,000 HUD-VASH vouchers were issued from FY2008 through 2011
• Currently, 11% of HUD-VASH recipient Veterans are women
• 14% of HUD-VASH vouchers were provided to homeless Veterans with children
• Among women, 28% are housed with children
• Successes with HUD-VASH = not group housing, more personalized, helps families, safety and
privacy
Way Forward:
• VA and HUD are working together to ensure appropriate data is collected on homeless women
Veterans, including those with children and those with disabilities

9. Prevention
Supportive Services for
Veterans and Families (SSVF)
Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF):
VA’s primary prevention program designed to help Veterans and their families rapidly exit
homelessness, or avoid entering homelessness.
 Grantees provide:
 case management to family members
 temporary financial assistance to promote housing stability, including support for
rent, utilities, moving expenses, transportation, and child care
 funds for emergency rental assistance, security and utility deposits, food and other
household supplies, child care, one-time car repairs, and other needs will help to keep
Veterans and their families housed – as intact family units
• For the first time in July 2011, VA awarded $59.5 million in homeless prevention grants to serve
approximately 22,000 homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families in 85 community agencies
within 40 states and the District of Columbia. Preliminary data of grants awarded to date:
6294 individuals served
3487 Veterans Served
2751 Children Served
432 OEF/OIF Served
• Dec 2011 VA announced the availability of $100 million in SSVF grant funding for community
nonprofit organizations to assist with preventing homelessness among nearly 42,000 Veterans and
families – grant applications are due February 15, 2012 at 4 p.m. EST

10. Homeless Veterans Supported
Employment Program (HVSEP)
Homeless Veterans Support Employment Program (HVSEP):
• To provide vocational assistance, job development and placement, and
ongoing support to improve employment outcomes among homeless
Veterans and Veterans at-risk of homelessness
Accomplishments to Date:
• Established joint operation of the HVSEP with the Compensated Work
Therapy (CWT) program
• Operational March 2011
• 355 homeless or formerly homeless Veterans have been hired as Vocational
Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS) in the HVSEP (87% of the 407 FTE hired)
• Face to face training in Supported Employment held in Boston and San Diego
for newly hired VRS
• Monitoring System in place through NEPEC and HVSEP Score Card

11. Veterans Homeless Prevention
Demonstration Program (VHPD)
Veterans Homeless Prevention Demonstration Program (VHPD):
• A multi-site, three-year pilot project designed to provide early intervention to
recently discharged Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OEF/OIF) Veterans and their families to prevent homelessness
Accomplishments to Date:
• 58% of VHPD participants have been families
• 27% women Veterans
 As of August 31, 2011:
 VA staff have screened over 1139 Veterans
 72% stably housed
 58% of participants are families
 36% of participants are OIF/OEF Veterans

12. Outreach Campaign Message and
Results
“Make a Call” National Outreach Media Program Launched October 12, 2011 in 28 Urban and Rural U.S. communities to engage or
re-engage Veterans in treatment and rehabilitative programs
 Informed Veterans, Veteran families, Veteran service providers, law enforcement and medical professionals of VA
programs and services available to assist at-risk and homeless Veterans
 Encouraged family, friends and citizens to “Make the Call” to 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) to help prevent and
eliminate Homelessness among Veterans
Results since Oct 6th:
• Calls to National Call Center for Homeless Veterans more than doubled since outreach effort began.
• 362 stories, including op-eds, have run in print, broadcast, and online media. The stories have earned an estimated
156,819,981 audience impressions (print and online media only)
• Radio Public Service Announcements – 15-, 30- and 60-second PSAs were distributed to the 28 markets holding events, with
3,475 plays as of Dec. 9, 2011, and an estimated 38,154,455 impressions. The PSA has been downloaded by 703 radio
stations across the country
• Online/Yahoo! Banner Ads – Veterans Homeless Outreach banner ads on Yahoo! yielded 4,657 total clicks for more than 4.2
million impressions
• Radio Advertising – Radio ads were placed in the 28 markets for 1-2 week runs, yielding more than 60 million impressions
• Talk Radio Outreach – Radio interviews with VA officials on the subject of Veteran homelessness were played in 76 cities and
520 times, for 5,108,460 impressions
• Out-of-Home Advertising – A total of 1,102 ads were placed on busses and in bus shelters in 19 markets, for 123,732,850
impressions
• Social Media – There were 506 on-topic posts

13. Outreach Campaign
Way Forward
Phase One: Planning and Message Development
 Create outreach materials
 Develop plans for 28 kick-off events and nationwide outreach
Phase Two: Program Launch
 Convene events in 28 targeted communities
 Purchase paid advertising in the 28 targeted communities
 Mobilize community partners in the 28 targeted communities in preparation for kick-off event
 Run PSAs on radio and TV stations across the US (TV PSAs are being developed now)
 Distribute outreach materials in all communities
 Printed Materials have been provided to all VAMCs and VAMC personnel are distributing
to CBOCs and to community partners
 Promotional items will be distributed to all VAMCs by May 2012
 Undertake national partner outreach
Phase Three: Furthering Outreach
 Continue outreach across US
 Focus more on rural outreach
 Solidify relationships with community partners

14. Promotional Items
• Lanyards
• Silicon Wristbands
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste sets
• Wallets
• Waterproof Boxes (for storing IDs and small documents)
• Bumper Ribbon Magnets
• Collapsible & Reusable Cups
• Drawstring Bags (Blue, Black, and ACU)
• GI Caps
• Bandannas
• Ink Pens
• Personal Hygiene Kit/Coolers (Blue, Black, and ACU)