Supportive Services for Veteran Families
General Program Information
Under the SSVF program, VA awards grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives who can provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families living in or transitioning to permanent housing.
Grantees provide eligible Veteran families with outreach, case management, and assistance in obtaining VA and other benefits, which may include:
Health care services Daily living services Personal financial planning services Transportation services |
Fiduciary and payee services Legal services Child care services Housing counseling services |
In addition, grantees may also provide time-limited payments to third parties (e.g., landlords, utility companies, moving companies, and licensed child care providers) if these payments help Veteran families stay in or acquire permanent housing on a sustainable basis.
Please note: For the best viewing quality of our videos - first save the media file on your computer and then view the file with Windows Media Player.
General Program Information
Grant Application Information
SSVF Success Stories
A Veteran is Told Not to Lose Hope, But to Soldier On*
John Dozier, a 56 year-old Army Veteran, became homeless and was paying a motel $160 per week for himself and his girlfriend, who is suffering from cancer. That was more than he could afford with his salary from a local grocery store, so he turned to Soldier On, the recipient of an SSVF grant for the state of New York.
Upon contacting the Soldier On New York Veterans Outreach program, John was put in touch with Martin Warren, a Soldier On Case Manager, who recognized the urgency of John's situation. As John worked diligently to find a suitable apartment, Martin and the Soldier On team quickly put together a plan to provide John with a financial assistance package that paid for his security deposit and first month's rent.
"Soldier On did everything for me," John said. "I was getting discouraged, but Mr. Warren said not to lose hope, to Soldier On. That became an important phrase for me...'Soldier On.' He wouldn't let me get discouraged."
Soldier On is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to provide Veterans with both shelter and support. The Soldier On mission is to offer a continuum of care that includes access to food and clothing, immediate and long-term housing, treatment for addiction, as well as medical, counseling and job-related services.
Now that he has been settled into permanent housing and is on target to make his rent each month, John said a major weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
"The first thing is giving me my personal confidence back," John said. "When you're homeless, you don't feel confident. Now I have a home base. I'm settled, I'm happier and I have my dignity. I want to show my appreciation to the program by staying here and doing well. My mate has cancer, and this has provided us with a new start that honestly I never thought would come again. When you're homeless and struggling, you don't believe your dreams can come true. This program has provided me with hope and has given me my dignity back as a man."
* The SSVF Program office is accepting submissions in order to recognize and share success stories.
Back to Top