VA Resources To Help You During the COVID-19 Pandemic (and Beyond)

VA is working aggressively to help Veterans and their families combat challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if they’re at increased risk of contracting the virus because of age or preexisting medical conditions. Veterans who lack stable housing are also at increased risk for COVID-19 because of poor living conditions and the inability to shelter in place. But no Veteran should be left without shelter, especially during this pandemic.

The Veterans Health Administration recently received $300 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist low-income Veteran families during this difficult time and to address the unique challenges faced by Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. These funds are being used to expand critical VA homeless programs that help Veterans rapidly exit homelessness and that prevent Veterans from becoming homeless:

 Supportive Services for Veteran Families: SSVF is designed to help Veteran families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Funds are granted to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide low-income Veteran families with a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability. CARES Act funding for SSVF services will be used to provide emergency housing and homelessness prevention support, including financial and food assistance
 Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing: HUD-VASH is a collaboration between HUD and VA that combines HUD housing vouchers with VA supportive services to help Veterans who are homeless and their families find and sustain permanent housing. CARES Act funding will help place Veterans in safe housing to protect them from the virus.
 Health Care for Homeless Veterans: HCHV serves as a hub for housing and other services and allows VA to reach and assist Veterans experiencing homelessness by offering them entry to VA care. The central goal is to reduce homelessness among Veterans by reaching out to those who are most vulnerable and who are not currently receiving services, and engage them in treatment and rehabilitative programs. CARES Act funding will pay for emergency shelter and supportive services during the pandemic, including placement in hotel rooms for Veterans needing emergency shelter or separation to avoid spreading the virus.
 Grant and Per Diem: Grants from the GPD program usually consist of a capped per diem payment from VA to community organizations to provide transitional housing and supportive services to Veterans. $88 million has been allocated to this program, which allows VA to waive per diem limits during the pandemic and help GPD grantees to provide all needed emergency housing and supportive services, including emergency placement for Veterans who need to be quarantined for their safety or the safety of others.

VA has many additional specialized programs that help thousands of Veterans each year find a permanent home and avoid homelessness for good. These include Homeless Veterans Community Employment Services to help Veterans find jobs, Veterans Justice Outreach to provide services for justice-involved Veterans, Health Care for Re-entry Veterans to promote success and prevent homelessness among Veterans who have completed a period of incarceration, and Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams to provide Veterans with comprehensive, individualized care, including services that lead to permanent housing.
During this challenging time, you are not alone. If you are in need of assistance, visit VA’s homelessness website https://rly.pt/VAHomelessWebsite to learn more about programs that provide support for transitional housing, permanent housing, and employment, or call 877-4AID-VET [login to see] ) to access the support you have earned and deserve.