Murray Announces $500,000 for Homeless Veterans in Washington State

Funding will help reintegrate homeless veterans into workforce, provide temporary shelter

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced that $500,000 has been awarded to the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs to help reintegrate local homeless veterans into the labor force and provide them with temporary housing assistance. The funding comes from the Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP).

“These grants will help our communities provide services that will help our homeless veterans get back on their feet,” said Senator Patty Murray. “This funding honors our commitment to veterans and gives them a chance to pull themselves back into the workforce and back into stable housing.”

"One of my top veterans’ priorities has been addressing the unique challenges that servicemen and –women face when transitioning to the civilian labor force,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “ I am proud that the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs is the only state department of veterans affairs in the nation that is in receipt of the DOL Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project Grants. In the past 9 months, these grants helped 188 homeless men and women veterans overcome their individual barriers to get and keep a job. The continuation of the HVRP Urban Grant and the newly awarded HVRP Rural Grant will help many more veterans throughout Washington find jobs during these tough economic times. I want to thank Senator Patty Murray for her efforts to secure this important funding."

Senator Murray recently introduced legislation to expand HVRP and to provide expanded workforce training, job counseling, child care services and placement services including literacy and skills training to homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children

Senator Murray also recently announced that over $3 million in housing vouchers had been made available through the HUD-VASH program for Washington state homeless veterans.

The purpose of HVRP is to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. Funds are awarded competitively to units of State or local governments, and for non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations.

HVRP grantees enroll thousands of homeless veterans annually in programs that involve emergency shelter, substance abuse counseling and treatment (including long-term treatment using the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities if necessary), job counseling and referrals, employment assistance, transportation, housing and clothing. The general practice is to deal with homeless veterans from a holistic perspective, with the ultimate goal of putting these veterans in meaningful employment. Job counseling, resume preparation, job development and placement are among the services that may be provided.

The HVRP program requires grantees to use all available resources and linkages in the local community. Successful HVRP programs focus on partnering with HUD, VA, HHS, local faith-based and community organizations, and social service agencies. Through these agencies, supportive services such as clothing, shelter, referrals to medical or substance-abuse treatment and transportation assistance are also provided to meet the needs of this target group.