Presented by:

Stacy Vasquez, BS, MLA

Deputy Director

Homeless Veteran Initiatives

Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)