CONNECTICUT CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION APPLAUDS FEDERAL FUNDING TO COMBAT VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

HARTFORD – The Connecticut Congressional delegation today applauded five federal grants from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program to support outreach, case management and other work in Connecticut to prevent veteran homelessness and to rapidly re-house those who become homeless.

Last month, Connecticut announced that it had become the first state in the country to end chronic veteran homelessness, meaning that all known veterans experiencing chronic homelessness are either housed or are on an immediate path to permanent housing, and that the state will be able to rapidly place any additional veterans experiencing chronic homelessness on the path to permanent housing.

This new funding will directly support that work by supporting the immediate interventions, outreach, case management and other work needed to find and serve veterans in need.

“Ending chronic homelessness in veterans is a milestone that requires constant vigilance and relentless commitment, and we applaud these federal funds to support and sustain that vital effort in Connecticut. These funds will support the tireless, sustained efforts of advocates who made that initial achievement possible, and whose ongoing work we must continue to support moving forward,” the delegation stated.

Grant recipients include:

· Community Renewal Team received $529,000 to support veterans in Hartford, Middlesex and New Haven counties
· Veterans, Inc. received $2 million to support veterans in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island
· The Workplace, Inc. received $1.28 million to support veterans in Fairfield and New Haven counties
· Operation Stand Down Rhode Island received $1.03 million to support veterans in the Norwich/New London area, as well as Rhode Island and Massachusetts
· Columbus House received $1.52 million to support veterans in New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties