VA awards $8.3 million in grants to local nonprofits serving homelessness veterans

Hundreds of Chicago-area veteran families experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless will have access to crucial services from local organizations via nearly $8.3 million in Department of Veterans Affairs grants and Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

Seven Chicago-area organizations received grants totaling $8,297,222. The awardees are:

• Volunteers of America of Illinois in Chicago, $2,276,003;

• Featherfist in Chicago, $1,672,587;

• Heartland Human Care Services Inc. in Chicago, $1,461,758;

• Thresholds in Chicago, $1,095,904;

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, $903,538;

• Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans Inc. in Wheaton, $503,814;

• Transitional Living Services Inc. in McHenry, $383,918.

Through partnerships with Hines VA and community programs, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program provides eligible veteran families with outreach, case management and assistance obtaining VA and other benefits, which can include health care, financial planning, childcare, legal and fiduciary payee assistance, transportation, housing counseling and other services.

"Supportive Services for Veteran Families is a key tool to promote housing stability among our most economically vulnerable Veterans and their families," said James Doelling, Hines VA Hospital Director. "This program empowers our community-based partners to provide the mix of services needed to prevent veterans from becoming homeless and rapidly re-house those who become homeless."

This year's grant recipients successfully competed under a Notice of Fund Availability published Nov. 19, 2020. The funding will support Supportive Services for Veteran Families services from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022.

Nationally, more than 260 organizations received Supportive Services for Veteran Families grants. A list of grantees is available at www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/.

If you are a homeless veteran or at risk of losing housing, please contact Hines VA's Homeless Program at (708) 202-4961 to be referred to an SSVF agency for screening.

Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care to veteran patients in the Chicago area. It is the largest VA in the state of Illinois, where more than a million veterans reside. The hospital treats more than 44,000 veterans from World War II through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.