East Bay Organizations Receive Federal Grants to Combat Veteran Homelessness
Three East Bay organizations will receive a total of more than $3 million in federal grants to help combat veteran homelessness.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, announced Wednesday that three organizations will receive a total of $3,029,906 in federal grants from the U.S. Veterans Affairs' Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. The organizations include the Berkeley Food and Housing Project, the East Oakland Community Project and the East Bay Community Recovery project.
"I am very pleased that several East Bay organizations have been selected for this critical VA funding," Lee said, in a news release. "As our economy continues to recover, we need to ensure that our veterans have jobs, adequate housing, and the support services they need to transition successfully to civilian life. This grant takes us one step closer to fulfilling our obligation to our local heroes."
Berkeley Food and Housing Project will receive $1,007,000 for the Regional Outreach, Advocacy and Support Home project, which will look for chronically homeless veterans and help them with services they need to connect with the VA. The project will be carried out through a collaboration with Anka Behavioral Health, Inc.
"We just feel a big commitment to working with the veteran community," said Terrie Light, executive director of the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. "We're very excited about this idea of ending chronic veterans homelessness."
The East Oakland Community Project will receive $990,906 to serve approximately 240 homeless veteran households in Oakland, and the East Bay Community Recovery Project will receive $1,032,000 to serve approximately 240 homeless veteran households in Oakland and Richmond.
The awards are part of nearly $300 million in grants that will help approximately 120,000 homeless and at-risk veterans and their families throughout the nation under the SSVF program. The purpose of the program is to help prevent veterans from becoming homeless, as well as rehouse those who have fallen into homelessness.
"It's exciting getting to that goal and being part of a national movement to end veterans homelessness," Light said. "The VA has made a commitment working with communities across the country."
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