Veteran Homelessness Programs: A Guide to HUD-VASH, SSVF, and Other VA Resources
VA's homeless programs constitute the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country, offering a wide array of services to help Veterans recover from homelessness and live as self-sufficiently and independently as possible.
If you are a Veteran experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, VA offers comprehensive support through the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country.
Immediate Assistance
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 877-4AIDVET (877-424-3838)
VA General Information Hotline: 800-698-2411
Find VA Facilities: www.va.gov/find-locations
More Information: www.benefits.va.gov/persona/veteran-homeless.asp
How to Get Started
- Currently enrolled in VA health care: Speak with your VA mental health or health care provider
- Not enrolled: Contact your nearest VA facility and ask to speak to the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program or Mental Health service manager
The provision of dental care has been shown to significantly improve outcomes related to stable housing, employment, and financial stability for Veterans experiencing homelessness.
Program Benefits
The HVDP helps increase the accessibility of quality dental care for homeless and certain other Veteran patients enrolled in VA-sponsored and VA partnership homeless rehabilitation programs:
- Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment
- Grant and Per Diem programs
- Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence
- Healthcare of Homeless Veteran (contract beds)
- Community Residential Care programs
More Information: www.va.gov/homeless/dental.asp
CRRCs are a collaborative effort of VA, communities, service providers, and agency partners. CRRCs are centrally located to better engage homeless Veterans.
Services Provided
Veterans who enter these centers are referred to:
- Physical and mental health care resources
- Job development programs
- Housing options
- Other VA and non-VA benefits
Find a CRRC Near You: www.va.gov/homeless/crrc-list.asp
The HCHV Program serves as a gateway to VA and community supportive services for eligible Veterans. This program provides outreach, case management, and HCHV Contract Residential Services (CRS).
How It Works
Whether through referral or direct community outreach, HCHV ensures that homeless Veterans can obtain community-based residential services and facilitates access to programs that provide quality housing and wrap-around services to meet their specialized needs.
More Information: www.va.gov/homeless/hchv.asp
The mission of HVCES is to provide employment services and resources to Veterans participating in VHA homeless programs to increase access to permanent housing and improve housing stability.
Why Employment Matters
Employment provides critical benefits for Veterans experiencing homelessness:
- Decreases the risk of suicide
- Provides improved quality of life
- Increases self-confidence and independence
- Provides opportunities for socialization
- Decreases reliance on institutional care
Program Structure
- HVCES staff are embedded in homeless programs within the VAMCs
- Complement existing medical center-based employment services
- Bridge to employment opportunities and resources in the local community
- Staffed by Vocational Development Specialists and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors
Eligibility
There are no eligibility requirements for Veterans to receive assistance from HVCES other than participation in a VHA homeless program.
More Information: www.va.gov/homeless/hvces.asp
HPACTs provide a coordinated "medical home" designed around the unique needs and distinct challenges homeless Veterans face both accessing and engaging in health care.
Team Composition
At selected VA facilities, Veterans are assigned to an HPACT that includes:
- Primary care provider
- Nurse
- Social worker
- Homeless program staff
- Others who offer medical care, case management, outreach, housing assistance, and social services
Services Provided
HPACT provides and coordinates the health care that Veterans may need while helping them obtain and stay in permanent housing.
Mobile Medical Units (MMU)
In FY 2023, 25 HPACT teams were awarded a Mobile Medical Unit equipped to bring health care and supportive services directly to Veterans experiencing homelessness in the community setting. As of April 2024, all 25 MMUs have been deployed to the awarded sites.
More Information: www.va.gov/homeless/hpact.asp
The GPD program allows VA to award grants to community-based agencies to create transitional housing programs with wrap-around supportive services to assist vulnerable Veterans move into permanent housing. The GPD program is VA's largest transitional housing program with approximately 11,000 beds nationwide.
Program Purpose
The purpose of the program is to meet Veterans at various stages as they move to stable housing. Community-based organizations offer focused services through a variety of transitional housing models targeted to different populations and needs of Veterans.
The GPD program plays a vital role in the continuum of homeless services by providing support to those Veterans who otherwise would be among the unsheltered homeless population.
Program Outcomes
The result of GPD programs is that Veterans achieve:
- Residential stability
- Increased skill levels and/or income
- Greater self-determination
Find GPD Grantee Locations: www.va.gov/homeless/gpd.asp
GPD Forecast: Grants.gov
This collaborative program pairs HUD's Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services.
Program Services
These services are designed to help homeless Veterans and their families:
- Obtain permanent housing
- Access health care
- Access mental health treatment
- Access other supports necessary to improve quality of life
- Maintain housing over time
More Information: www.va.gov/homeless/hud-vash.asp
The SSVF Program provides supportive services to very low-income Veteran families living in or transitioning to permanent housing. SSVF is designed to rapidly rehouse homeless Veteran families and prevent homelessness for those at imminent risk of becoming homeless due to a housing crisis.
How It Works
Funds are granted to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives, which then provide very low-income Veteran families with a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability.
Shallow Subsidy Services
To help families respond to affordable housing challenges, SSVF's Shallow Subsidy services provide:
- Veteran families with a fixed rental subsidy for up to two years
- Goal of achieving long-term self-sufficiency through employment
- Incentives to support placements into permanent housing
Find SSVF Grantee Locations: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.html
This program is for Veterans with mental health concerns who are homeless, at risk for homelessness, or otherwise lacking a stable lifestyle or living arrangement that is conducive to their goal of recovery.
Program Services
- Care is provided for multiple challenges, illnesses, or rehabilitative needs
- When Veterans finish the residential program, they are discharged to appropriate safe housing
Designed for Veterans who face employment barriers due to mental health conditions or physical disabilities, Compensated Work Therapy-Transitional Residence (CWT-TR) provides Veterans with assistance and coaching to find and retain jobs as they continue treatment, empowering their transition to independent living.
Program Features
- CWT-TR homes are often located in the community
- Provides a transitional home for Veterans as they work toward successful integration into the community
- Veterans pay a program fee, derived from their CWT-related earnings, to help cover residential costs
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