VA Medical Center receives funds from Washington

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today announced a $34,241 investment in the Upper Peninsula to provide assistance to help end veteran homelessness. The assistance is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

“Our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line to defend our country, and we must ensure they have our full support when they return home and begin the transition back to civilian life,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “On any given night, there are nearly 50,000 veterans across the country without a roof over their heads. This investment provides much needed assistance to help homeless veterans in the Upper Peninsula find a permanent place to call home, and helps keep our promise to support our service members, veterans and their families.”

“America’s veterans put their lives on the line for the safety of this country and its citizens,” said Senator Stabenow. “This support will help get our heroes off the streets and into permanent homes.”

The HUD-VASH program combines rental assistance vouchers from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by the VA to help homeless veterans find and keep permanent housing. VA Medical Centers are responsible for assessing homeless veterans and referring them to local housing agencies for rental vouchers. Vouchers are awarded based on an individual’s duration of homelessness and need for long-term support to maintain permanent housing. The State of Michigan is receiving a total investment of $1.6 million for the program.

Upper Peninsula organizations receiving assistance for the HUD-VASH program include:

-Michigan State Housing Development Authority and Oscar G. Johnson (Iron Mountain) VA Medical Center, $34,241

Senator Peters recently signed a bipartisan letter calling for continued funding for the Supporting Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program and the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program that work to end veteran homelessness. He also recently toured the Volunteers of America (VOA) in Lansing, where he saw firsthand the work the VOA is doing to support Michigan’s veterans and combat veteran homelessness. Through transitional housing, case management and employment help, the VOA works to prevent low-income veterans and their families from falling into homelessness.

Senator Stabenow is committed to making sure veterans have the care and resources they need. For years, Senator Stabenow has led the fight to bring more VA clinics to Michigan so veterans don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to receive medical treatment. Additionally, Stabenow has long championed the issue of veterans’ employment, including in her 2014 Farm Bill, which includes support for military veterans who are new to farming and ranching.