Housing nonprofit awarded funding for veteran homelessness prevention

Posted

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Three South Carolina nonprofits, including one that serves Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties, are among an annual distribution of grants to help fight veteran homelessness.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced earlier this month it awarded more than $5.38 million under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program to the three nonprofits across the Palmetto State. Eastern Carolina Homelessness Organization, which serves 13 counties in northeastern South Carolina, was awarded $1.2 million.

Funding from SSVF provides thousands of low-income veteran families around the nation with access to case management and other assistance to prevent veterans from becoming homeless and re-house those who do.

"Ending veterans' homelessness remains one of our top priorities at the Columbia VA," said David Omura, director and CEO of the Columbia VA Health Care System. "Through clinical services and other programs like SSVF, we are working diligently to end veteran homelessness."

The SSVF program has proven to be remarkably effective in helping low-income veterans and their families overcome housing crises by offering temporary assistance.

This year, grants totaling about $400 million went to 266 nonprofits in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Through SSVF, the VA served more than 105,156 individuals, including 70,524 veterans and 20,608 children, nationally in fiscal year 2019. As a result of these and other efforts, veteran homelessness has been cut in half since the launch of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in 2010.