Peter H. Dougherty,

1
USDOL-VETS 2007 Competitive Grantees Training
Conference August 7, 2007
Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans
Program U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
2
Overview of VA Housing and Homeless Programs

• There are 25 million US military veterans in the
  United States.
• More than 5 million veterans including 100,000
  homeless veterans receive health care service
  annually.
• VA has awarded funding to more than 350 community
  and faith based organizations to support more
  than 10,500 Grant and Per Diem Program
  transitional housing beds.

3
Overview of VA Housing and Homeless Programs

• VA provides more than 165,000 single family loans
  each year valued at 25 billion
• VBA has 20 Full-time and 37 part-time homeless
  veteran outreach coordinators to enhance prompt
  claims for homeless and at-risk veterans.
• VBA identified and expedited more than 17,000
  claims from homeless veterans.
• 44 of compensation claims and 77 of pension
  claims were approved.

4
VA Programs

• 60,857 veterans received services from the
  Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program.
• 4 Female Homeless Veterans
• 1,991 operational beds for the Domiciliary Care
  for Homeless Veterans Program (DCHV), 5,283
  episodes of treatment
• 4.7 Female Homeless Veterans
• Eight (8) women veteran special needs GPD
  programs

5
Programs

• 15, 441 veterans were admitted to a GPD program
  nationally during FY 2006.
• 1,238 veterans were treated in HUD/VASH Program

6
OEF/OIF Returning Veterans

• 1300 OEF/OIF homeless veterans seen through
  outreach from 10/1/04 thru 3/31/07.
• 350 veterans placed in a VA or Community based
  residential treatment program.
• 81 OEF/OIF homeless veterans remain in
  residential treatment.
• 12 female veterans seen through outreach efforts.

7
Sociodemographic Characteristics

• Age Medium 50 .5Years
• Race 48 Black, Not Hispanic
• Marital Status Nearly 60 Previous Married
• VA Benefits 40
• Usual Employment Full Time 19, Part
  Time 27.2
• 
  Disabled/Retired 26.3

8
Sociodemographic Characteristics

• Period of Service
• 42.5 Vietnam Era
• 41.9 Post Vietnam
• 10.6 Persian Gulf/Later
• Combat Exposure 16.6
• Length of Time Homeless
• 8.3 1-2 Yrs
• 18.9 2 Or More Yrs

9
Health and Mental Health Needs of Veterans

• 67 Medical Treatment
• 56 Alcohol Abuse
• 49 Drug Abuse
• 69Any Substance Abuse

• 52 Serious Psychiatric Diagnosis
• 82 Serious Psych/Sub. Abuse Diagnosis
• 37 Dual Diagnosis

10
Homeless Providers Grant Per Diem Program

• Program Description
• Purpose is to promote the development and
  provision of supportive housing and/or supportive
  services with the goal of helping homeless
  veterans achieve residential stability, increase
  their skill levels and/or income, and obtain
  greater self-determination.
• Program is offered annually (as funding permits)
  to fund community agencies providing services to
  homeless veterans.
• Only programs with supportive housing (up to 24
  months) or service centers (offering services
  such as case management, education, crisis
  intervention, counseling, etc.) are eligible for
  these funds.
• Two levels of funding the Grant Component and
  the Per Diem Component.

11
Homeless Providers Grant Per Diem Program

• Grants
• Limit is 65 of the costs of construction,
  renovation, or acquisition of a building for use
  as service centers or transitional housing for
  homeless vets.
• Renovation of VA properties is allowed, acquiring
  VA properties is not.
• Recipients must obtain the matching 35 share
  from other sources. Grants may not be used for
  operational costs, including salaries.
• Per Diem
• Priority in awarding the Per Diem funds goes to
  the recipients of Grants.
• Non-Grant programs may apply for Per Diem under a
  separate announcement, when published in the
  Federal Register, announcing the funding for Per
  Diem Only
• Contact
• Grant and Per Diem Office telephone (toll-free)
  1-877-332-0334
• Website www.va.gov/homeless

12
Other Key VA Housing and Homeless Programs

• Acquired Property Program
• A VA foreclosed single family house can be sold
  at deep discount up to 50 off its original price
  to a non profit organization.
• The purchaser has to agree as a condition of sale
  to us that property to shelter homeless persons
  in that property for at least three years.
• Stand Down
• Last year more than 125 stand downs (community
  outreach efforts) for homeless veterans were
  held. More than 27,000 veterans and family
  members were served aided by more than 15,000
  volunteers

13
Other Key Program

• Project CHALENG
• Nearly 5,000 people attend local meetings to
  determine met and unmet needs and develop local
  action plans.
• Incarcerated Veteran Outreach Initiative
• 21 Full time VISN Re-entry
  Specialists
• State specific incarcerated veteran
  re-entry guide books
• www.va.gov/homeless
• Multifamily Transitional Housing for Homeless
  Veterans
• VA has authority to guarantee up to 15 loans.
  The first loan to Catholic Charities of Chicago
  opened a 141 unit program January 2007.

14
our Mission is- To Change The End of The Story

• For homeless veterans debilitating physical and
  mental health issues leave many without hope. VA
  in collaboration with entities of government,
  community and faith based service providers, is
  changing the end of the story for tens of
  thousands of homeless veterans each year.
• YOU ARE HELPING US MAKE a Difference
• With the assistance of faith-based and community
  organizations the number and percentage of
  veterans among the homeless are declining.
  (250,000 on a given night to 195,000.)
• Over 80 of homeless veterans in residential
  programs with service were appropriately housed
  one year after their discharge from that program.

15
Contact

• You can access homeless information on the
  internet at
• www.va.gov/homeless
• Or by contacting homelessvet_at_va.gov
• Peter H. Dougherty, Director
• Homeless Veterans Programs
• 202-273-5764
• At the end of life we will not be judged by the
  number of diplomas we have received, how much
  money we have, how many great things we have
  done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you
  gave me something to eat, I was naked and you
  clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.
• Mother Teresa