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Partnering with Local Communities Nationwide
to Serve Homeless Veterans
The CHALENG Process
In 1994, the VA launched Project CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) for Veterans, an innovative program designed to enhance the continuum of care for homeless veterans provided by the local VA and its surrounding community service agencies. The guiding principle behind Project CHALENG is that no single agency can provide the full spectrum of services required to help homeless veterans become productive members of society. Project CHALENG enhances coordinated services by bringing the VA together with community agencies and other federal, state, and local governments who provide services to the homeless to raise awareness of homeless veterans' needs and to plan to meet those needs.
The legislation guiding this initiative is contained in Public Laws 102-405, 103-446 and 105-114. The specific legislative requirements relating to Project CHALENG are that local medical center and regional office directors:
- assess the needs of homeless veterans living in the area
- make the assessment in coordination with representatives from state and local governments, appropriate federal departments and agencies and non-governmental community organizations that serve the homeless population
- identify the needs of homeless veterans with a focus on health care, education and training, employment, shelter, counseling, and outreach
- assess the extent to which homeless veterans' needs are being met
- develop a list of all homeless services in the local area
- encourage the development of coordinated services
- take action to meet the needs of homeless veterans
- inform homeless veterans of non-VA resources that are available in the community to meet their needs
At the local level, VA medical centers and regional offices designate CHALENG Points of Contact (POCs) who are responsible for the above requirements. These CHALENG POCs - usually local VA homeless center/project coordinators - work with local agencies throughout the year to coordinate services for homeless veterans.
The Annual Project CHALENG Report and Individual Site Profiles
Each year Project CHALENG publishes a report summarizing the results of annual surveys of both local VA staff and community participants (local government, service providers, formerly and currently homeless veterans). These surveys ask for current perceptions of homeless veterans’ needs, the degree of VA/community cooperation and collaboration in serving homeless veterans, and progress on local homeless veterans program initiatives. The most recent CHALENG report for FY 2007 (The Fourteenth Annual Progress Report on Public Law 105-114: Services for Homeless Veterans Assessment and Coordination) is available below. The Report includes both VISN (Veterans Integrated Service Network) and Facility data.
 Also now available are individual site profiles (see below after Report Appendix Tables). These reports incorporate CHALENG and VA NEPEC (Northeast Program Evaluation Center ) data into a summary profile for each of the participating VA service sites for easy reference. Each profile includes: 1) a point-in-time estimate of homeless veterans in the CHALENG site's service area, 2) an estimate of area veterans who meet the HUD 'chronically homeless' definition, 3) a ranking of site homeless veteran needs compared to national VA rankings, 4) partnership ratings of VA efforts in collaborating with community agencies, and 5) FY 2007 site action plan.
When the Grant and Per Diem application and/or HUD Continuum of Care/Plan to End Homelessness processes are active, applicants needing to address local needs of homeless veterans may want to consult their local CHALENG POC (listed in Appendix 8) and include local data generated from the individual site profiles VA's Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC) processes and reports the data from the annual CHALENG survey.
For More Information on CHALENG
To find the nearest CHALENG coordinator near you (see Appendix 8). For more information, please contact John Kuhn, National CHALENG Coordinator at 908-647-0180 ext. 4066; email John.Kuhn2@med.va.gov . You may also contact John Nakashima, CHALENG program analyst, at 310-478-3711 ext. 41946; email at John.Nakashima@med.va.gov.
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The 2007 CHALENG report :
CHALENG Report FY 2007 (DRAFT)
CHALENG Participant Survey
Guide to Appendices:
CHALENG Participant Questionnaire: This is the survey questionnaire completed by CHALENG VA and community participants. Data from this survey form are compiled and reported in the CHALENG Report and in Appendix Tables 1-4 below.
Appendix 1: 2007 CHALENG Needs Score by VA Facility – Homeless Veterans’ Assessment
Consumer assessments of local veteran met-unmet needs across 38 need areas - e.g. food, housing (emergency, transitional, permanent), hygiene, family counseling, etc.
Appendix 2: 2007 CHALENG Needs Score by VA Facility – VA and Community Representatives' Assessment
Provider assessments of local veteran met-unmet needs across 38 need areas - e.g. food, housing (emergency, transitional, permanent), hygiene, family counseling, etc.
Appendix 3: 2007 CHALENG Needs Score by Network - Combined Consumers’ and Providers’ Assessment
VISN level assessments of local veteran met-unmet needs across 38 need areas - e.g. food, housing (emergency, transitional, permanent), hygiene, family counseling, etc.
Appendix 4: 2007 CHALENG Integration and Implementation Scores by VA Facility - Community Representatives' Assessment
Local community agency perception of specific activities associated with partnering with local VA, and level of homeless veteran access to VA services
Appendix 5: CHALENG End of FY 2007 Estimated Number of Homeless Veterans and Information Sources by VISN and VA Facility, POC Assessment
Estimates of the number of homeless veterans by local Points of Contact and the data sources for the estimates
Appendix 6: VA-Community Initiatives for Homeless Veterans:
End of FY 2006 Plan Focus (Top 3 Needs) - FY 2007 Plan Action Updates
Fiscal Year Action Plan Progress
Appendix 7: Agencies Recognized for Assisting in Implementing FY 2007 Action Plans
Highlights local agencies (public and private) that collaborated with VA in providing services to homeless veterans.
Appendix 8: VISN/Facility CHALENG Points of Contact
Individual Site Profiles:
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