Grant funds amounting to $990,219 will be granted to various public housing agencies throughout South Carolina as announced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki.
The funds will be used to provide case management for the homeless veterans and to give them permanent housing through various grants including South Carolina housing grants, military housing grants, and grants for senior housing.
Military Housing Grants and Grants for Senior Housing
HUD created a program called Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) for the purpose of giving out permanent supportive housing assistance to the nation’s homeless veterans. This program is being administered across the country through the joint efforts of HUD, VA, and the local housing agencies.
HUD Secretary Donovan knows how important this is for the veterans and the country as he had said:
“It’s a national disgrace that one out of every six men and women in our shelters once wore a uniform to serve our country. But we know that by providing housing assistance and case management services, we can significantly reduce the number of veterans living on our streets. Working together, HUD, VA, and local housing agencies are making real progress toward ending veteran homelessness once and for all.”
South Carolina Housing Grants for Veterans
The homeless veterans are entitled to a number of different housing grants from the federal government. Given the fact that they had once served the country, they are entitled to military housing grants and being considered elderly as they are now veterans, they can also qualify for grants for senior housing in addition to the usual South Carolina housing grants.
The federal government is definitely finding and increasing the ways of how to reach out to these veterans. Through this additional funding, more grants can be given out to further reduce the number of homeless veterans in South Carolina along with the other U.S. states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings Jr. remains positive that the U.S. will soon see this travesty end.
Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
The Obama Administration had made a commitment to end Veteran and long-term chronic homelessness throughout the country. Staying true to their commitment, they have created this program to serve as their road-map as to how the federal government will be working its way in confronting the root causes of homelessness today.
The government will be working together with the various local housing and community agencies nationwide to honor the U.S. veterans and hopefully eliminate veteran homelessness by year 2015.
There are about $75 million worth of funds for the Fiscal Year 2012 allocated to supporting the various housing needs of approximately 10,500 homeless veterans. Additional funding is said to be released later.
The VA Medical Centers (VAMC) will be the ones responsible for doing the case management of every homeless veteran and providing them with the supportive services as deemed necessary. The case management will be based on different factors such as the duration of homelessness and the immediate need for South Carolina housing grants along with the capacity to maintain housing. They will also be responsible in giving out rental assistance vouchers.