HRC Expands Veteran Service Programs

The Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald recently announced the VA’s continued effort to end Veteran homelessness and increase access to crucial services with the renewal of approximately $300 million in grants under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.  Hancock Resource Center (HRC) is one of 286 grantees across the nation to receive SSVF funding which supports outreach, case management, and other flexible assistance to prevent Veteran homelessness or rapidly re-house Veterans who become homeless. HRC has operated the SSVF program for the past two years, serving over 50 Veterans in Hancock and Harrison counties by providing a mix of services they need to gain housing and stay housed.
 
Iin addition to providing key housing services, HRC has added another significant element to the wraparound services available to Veterans experiencing homelessness on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez announced in June the award of nearly $35 million in grants to provide Veterans with job-driven training for in-demand jobs to help them successfully transition from homelessness to sustainable housing and good civilian jobs. The Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) has proven highly effective in helping Veterans overcome obstacles to employment and sustainable housing. Hancock Resource Center was awarded a contract to create a Veteran Employment Network, connecting Veterans in Hancock, Harrison, and Pearl River Counties with employers based upon key skills inventories and employer-specific needs. Homeless Veterans will receive occupational, classroom and on-the-job training, as well as job search and placement assistance, including follow-up services.
 
Veteran homelessness is down significantly since the launch of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in 2010.  Since 2010, nearly 230,000 Veterans and their family members have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from falling into homelessness by VA’s homelessness programs and targeted housing vouchers provided by HUD. HVRP, through the Department of Labor, is the only federal program that focuses exclusively on employment of Veterans who are experiencing homelessness and perfectly complements the VA’s efforts to keep vulnerable Veterans stably housed and thriving in the long term.
 
Employers interested in learning more about the Veteran Employment Network should contact Rhonda Rhodes at rrhodes@hancockhrc.org or call 228-463-8887. For more information about these or any HRC programs, please visit www.hancockhrc.org.