"President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years."

NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... Ending homelessness in the veteran population is a noble goal, but one that many feel cannot be accomplished.  However, we owe it to the Secretary to see if it can be done ... all the while keeping an eye on the program.

It is very good to see that Shinseki is being proactive and including "preventive" programs.  It seems to me that it is going to be easier to "prevent" most homelessness ... rather than going back and trying to pick up the pieces once a veteran becomes homeless.

However, the biggest problem the VA will face is the VA itself ("We have met the enemy and it is us.").  Bumbling bureaucrats will get in the way, just as they did in Portland where housing vouchers for homeless veterans were not distributed properly.  That story here ...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfoct09/nf101509-5.htm

Use our search engine for more about homeless veterans ... here ...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=homeless&op=and

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VA secretary promises help for homeless veterans

By KIMBERLY HEFLING (AP)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j
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WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is promising help for homeless veterans.

Shinseki is speaking to 1,200 homeless service providers at a Washington conference. He says the VA will spend $3.2 billion next year on the problem.

It is estimated that 130,000 veterans may be homeless on a typical night in America. About one-third of all adult homeless men and nearly one-fifth of all homeless adults served in the military.

About 3 percent of the overall homeless population served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Due to the economy, the VA says the number of homeless vets may increase up to 15 percent over the next five years.

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Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans

Five-Year Plan Unveiled at Homeless Summit

WASHINGTON – Today, at the “VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki unveiled the department’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness among Veterans by marshalling the resources of government, business and the private sector.

“President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years,” said Shinseki. “Those who have served this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope.”

Shinseki’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness includes preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated Veterans re-entering society, supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families and a national referral center to link Veterans to local service providers. Additionally, the plan calls for expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing.

“Our plan enlarges the scope of VA’s efforts to combat homelessness,” said Shinseki. “In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless Veterans off the streets. Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless.”

Other features of the plan outlined by Shinseki include:

· The new Post-9/11 GI Bill provides a powerful option for qualified Veterans to pursue a fully funded degree program at a state college or university. It is a major component of the fight against Veteran homelessness.

· VA is collaborating with the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration to certify Veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses for listing on the Federal Supply Register, which enhances their visibility and competitiveness – creating jobs for Veterans.

· VA will spend $3.2 billion next year to prevent and reduce homelessness among Veterans. That includes $2.7 billion on medical services and more than $500 million on specific homeless programs.

· VA aggressively diagnoses and treats the unseen wounds of war that often lead to homelessness – severe isolation, dysfunctional behaviors, depression and substance abuse. Last week, VA and the Defense Department cosponsored a national summit on mental health that will help both agencies better coordinate mental health efforts.

· VA partners with more than 600 community organizations to provide transitional housing to 20,000 Veterans. It also works with 240 public housing authorities to provide permanent housing to homeless Veterans and their families under a partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The VA/HUD partnership will provide permanent housing to more than 20,000 Veterans and their families.

Over the duration of the conference it is expected that over 1,200 homeless service providers from federal and state agencies, the business community, and faith-based and community providers will attend and participate in the summit.

“This is not a summit on homelessness among Veterans,” added Shinseki “It’s a summit on ending homelessness among Veterans.”

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, homeless, homelessness, Shinseki