[Senate Hearing 112-398]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 112-398
ENDING HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS: VA'S PROGRESS ON ITS FIVE-YEAR PLAN
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MARCH 14, 2012
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov
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COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
Patty Murray, Washington, Chairman
John D. Rockefeller IV, West Richard Burr, North Carolina,
Virginia Ranking Member
Daniel K. Akaka, Hawaii Johnny Isakson, Georgia
Bernard Sanders, (I) Vermont Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi
Sherrod Brown, Ohio Mike Johanns, Nebraska
Jim Webb, Virginia Scott P. Brown, Massachusetts
Jon Tester, Montana Jerry Moran, Kansas
Mark Begich, Alaska John Boozman, Arkansas
Kim Lipsky, Staff Director
Lupe Wissel, Republican Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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March 14, 2012
SENATORS
Page
Murray, Hon. Patty, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Washington....... 1
Brown, Hon. Scott P., U.S. Senator from Massachusetts............ 3
Brown, Hon. Sherrod, U.S. Senator from Ohio...................... 4
Begich, Hon. Mark, U.S. Senator from Alaska...................... 39
Burr, Hon. Richard, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from North
Carolina....................................................... 41
Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from Arkansas................... 80
WITNESSES
Strickland, Sandra, U.S. Army Veteran............................ 6
Prepared statement........................................... 8
Rogers, Reverend Scott, Executive Director, Asheville Buncombe
Community Christian Ministry; accompanied by John Driscoll,
President and Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for
Homeless Veterans.............................................. 11
Prepared statement........................................... 12
Four, Marsha, Chair, National Women Veterans Committee, Vietnam
Veterans of America............................................ 18
Prepared statement........................................... 21
Halliday, Linda, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audits
and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department
of Veterans' Affairs; accompanied by Gary Abe, Director,
Seattle Audit Division, Office of Inspector General, Department
of Veterans' Affairs........................................... 28
Prepared statement........................................... 30
Dougherty, Pete, Acting Executive Director, Homeless Veterans
Initiatives Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
accompanied by Chanel Curry, U.S. Army Veteran; Lisa Pape, MS,
LISW, National Director, Homeless Programs; and Maura A.
Squire, Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinator................. 45
Prepared statement........................................... 46
Response to posthearing questions submitted by:
Hon. Patty Murray.......................................... 54
Hon. Mark Begich........................................... 69
APPENDIX
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; prepared statement..... 83
ENDING HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS: VA'S PROGRESS ON ITS FIVE-YEAR PLAN
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m., Room
418, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Patty Murray,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Murray, Brown of Ohio, Begich, Burr,
Brown of Massachusetts and Boozman.
STATEMENT OF HON. PATTY MURRAY, CHAIRMAN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Chairman Murray. Good morning, everyone. Thank you all for
joining us for this very important hearing today. You know, it
goes without saying that no one who has sacrificed to serve our
Nation in uniform should ever be without a roof over their
head. Yet, homelessness is a harsh reality for tens of
thousands of veterans.
In 2009, Secretary Shinseki laid out the bold goal of
ending homelessness among veterans in 5 years. As we reach the
halfway point, today's hearing will examine the progress to
date as well as the challenges and opportunities moving
forward, particularly the challenges that homeless women
veterans face.
As many in this room know, the VA and the Department of
Housing and Urban Development recently announced the number of
homeless veterans dropped by 12 percent to a little more than
67,000.
VA and HUD deserve to be commended for the significant
progress they have made; but despite this progress, challenges
remain. VA must focus on a new and unfortunately growing
segment of the homeless veteran population, female veterans.
Like their male counterparts, women veterans face many of
the same challenges that contribute to their risks of becoming
homeless. They are serving on the front lines and being exposed
to some of the same harshest realities of war. They are
screening positive for PTSD, experiencing military sexual
trauma, suffering from anxiety disorder, and having trouble
finding a job that provides the stability to ease their
transition back home.
Yet, when our female veterans find themselves homeless,
they have needs that are unique from those of male veterans. As
the VA's Inspector General found in a report released on
Monday, some of those unique needs are not being addressed.
The Inspector General found there were serious safety and
security concerns for homeless women veterans, especially those
who have experienced military sexual trauma.
They found bedrooms and bathrooms without sufficient locks,
halls and stairways without sufficient lighting, and mixed-
gender living facilities without access restrictions. They also
found the VA should do a better job at targeting places and
populations that need help the most.
In addition to this Inspector General report, GAO released
a report at the end of last year that cited VA for the lack of
gender-specific privacy, safety, and security standards.
Following that report, I sent a letter to VA and HUD with
Senators Tester and Snowe seeking answers to a number of
questions it raised. I have heard from HUD. They are reviewing
their data collection process in order to capture more
information on homeless women veterans.
I have also heard from VA. They are working to develop and
provide training for staff and providers to better treat
veterans who have experienced traumatic events and are
modifying their guidance on privacy, safety, and security for
providers who serve homeless women veterans.
As more women begin to transition home and step back into
lives as mothers and wives and citizens, we must be prepared to
serve the unique challenges they face. As we continue to learn
about the alarming number of homeless women veterans, we must
be sure the VA is there to meet their needs.
This means we cannot violate their trust by jeopardizing
their privacy, safety, or security when we place them in
housing facilities or when they receive care in VA facilities.
I am hopeful that we can explore these issues together
during today's hearing, and I am so pleased that courageous
women like Sandra, who has just joined us, and Chanel, who you
will hear from on the next panel, have come forward to help
give us a first-hand account of the challenges that we need to
meet.
As the VA continues to make progress in bringing down the
number of homeless veterans, challenges remain. We are still
facing unacceptable numbers of chronically homeless veterans.
This group often has complex combinations of issues including
addictions or mental and physical health issues.
All have been failed by a system that let them slip through
the cracks, and many of the traditional methods used for
treating and caring for homeless veterans may not work for this
population. That is why it is critical that we continue to look
for productive ways to engage these veterans and get them off
the streets. A strong partnership with VA's mental health
programs will be crucial for this effort.
One of the best ways to end homelessness is to prevent it
from occurring. This will take a concerted effort from VA's
homeless programs, but it will also take collaboration from all
of VA's programs.
In today's economy, these programs provide critical
assistance that helps veterans and their families remain in
their homes. It is also important we continue to focus on
getting earned benefits and services to veterans quickly and
without delay.
For homeless veterans and those at risk, these benefits can
make the difference in avoiding homelessness or becoming
trapped in a cycle that keeps them on the streets. We have been
making progress at ending veteran homelessness through
investments in proven solutions like rapid re-housing and
permanent housing programs, but we must ensure that we do not
lose sight of the need to provide each homeless investment with
the resource that most closely matches their needs.
We also have to ensure that VA's programs to help homeless
veterans are running as efficiently as possible. I had my staff
do and exhaustive review of thousands of pages worth of VA's
inspections of its Grant and Per Diem providers. My staff found
there were opportunities to improve the program by providing
more guidance to providers and to VA staff who work with them.
Today's hearing gives us another opportunity to better
understand the current situation with the goal of fixing what
is not working and expanding what is.
With that, Senator Brown is here today replacing Senator
Burr, not replacing obviously, being here in his stead.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Not yet.
Chairman Murray. I will turn it over to Senator Brown.
STATEMENT OF HON. SCOTT BROWN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Thank you, Madam Chair, and
thanks for calling this important hearing.
First of all, I would like to welcome all of our witnesses
as well today. Particularly, I would like to welcome Ms.
Strickland and Ms. Curry and thank you for your willingness to
share your stories and experiences with us.
As Members of this Committee, it is important that we hear
first-hand from our veterans and how they have been affected by
a lot of the policies and problems within the VA, especially on
this very important issue.
On behalf of Ranking Member Burr, I would like to extend a
warm welcome to Reverend Scott Rogers from Asheville, North
Carolina, who is representing the National Coalition for
Homeless Veterans. So, thank you for your involvement and
service.
I would also like to welcome and recognize Maura Squire,
who serves in our Boston regional office as their homeless
veterans outreach coordinator. I am looking forward to hearing
that testimony, and thank you for being here as well.
A lot of you obviously for many years have dedicated
service to our U.S. Navy, and there are a few issues here that
we care more about really than this issue of homelessness and
ending it amongst our men and women that have been serving and
given so much to our country.
According to the VA, almost 65,000 veterans are homeless on
any given night last year. I know in Massachusetts we are
trying to do it better and work on it zealously, and I know
Congress since 2010 has provided over a $400 million increase
to services for homeless veterans. That is a good thing.
With this significant funding increase, the VA has
developed a wide variety of services to assist homeless
veterans in securing and maintaining permanent housing and
gainful employment.
In light of the recent reports by the VA's Inspector
General and GAO, I am concerned about the effectiveness of
these programs. I know Senator Burr has referenced that a lot.
It is great to have additional funds but we need to make sure
we use them wisely. I know there are a lot of nonprofit groups
out there trying to do their very, very best as well to help in
the housing shortage for veterans.
First, the GAO found in that report without more complete
data, ``the VA does not have the information needed to plan
services effectively, allocate grants to providers, and track
progress toward its overall goal of ending veteran homelessness
by 2015.''
The second finding is a lack of VA oversight to ensure the
safety and security of women veterans in community programs.
The Inspector General found that within the last 10 years 22
homeless female veterans were placed in a Grant and Per Diem
facility that was approved for only male veterans. This is
unacceptable. This alone should cause serious concerns.
What is even more concerning is that it appears VA staff
had little regard for these womens' safety and security. I find
that disturbing to say the least.
Last, the Inspector General found that the Grant and Per
Diem program spent $60,000 to provide housing for veterans who
were not homeless. At one Grant and Per Diem facility almost
one fourth of veterans were not homeless prior to entering the
program. Once again, that goes to the point of having proper
oversight.
While clear progress has been made, it is evident from
these reports that pointing simply to the 12-percent decrease
in the number of homeless veterans on any given night in
January does not provide the complete picture.
So, I think we need to ask a lot of serious questions--I am
looking forward to doing just that--on the effectiveness of the
VA veterans programs. For instance, how can VA end homelessness
without having accurate data? Does the VA understand the
reasons a veteran withdraws from a residential treatment
program? Do they also know the veteran's living situation after
completing the program? The follow-through is very important.
In the current economic climate, it is Congress's
responsibility to ensure taxpayer money is being used
effectively and efficiently. So, I hope today we will have that
opportunity to get some of those very real answers to these
very difficult questions.
So, thank you, Madam Chair. I look forward to the witnesses
testimony and moving forward with this issue.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
Senator Brown, we will turn to you for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF HON. SHERROD BROWN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM OHIO
Senator Brown of Ohio. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate
the opportunity to be here. Thanks for your leadership, your
dedication for ending veterans homelessness.
It is just unbelievable that it is still the persistent
problem it is, and I appreciate the work that the VA has done
especially Chillicothe and southern Ohio. It is one of the best
veterans' outreach programs for the homeless of any place in
the country.
According to a recent GAO report, the number of homeless
women veterans has more than doubled from 2006 to 2010. VA is
not keeping up, but I understand it is not just the VA. It is
an all-hands approach from State and local governments to
nonprofits and public-service groups, and it is not just
homeless programs like food and shelter.
The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program is a
Department of Labor-funded program designed to provide the
support and assistance needed for veterans to obtain employment
and economic stability.
It is getting access to the programs that include medical
treatment and counseling and education and, where appropriate,
legal assistance. But ultimately the Veterans Administration
must be the leader and the coordinator of these efforts.
As we continue to look to solutions, I would like our
witnesses to think about how we can coordinate these programs
so that they are not overlapping or are not missing the gaps.
So, we are reaching every veteran and every veteran's family
and every community in which they live.
Today's the second panel will have a proud Ohioan
testifying whom I just met. I am glad she has come forward to
tell her story. So, what happened to her will not have to be
repeated.
Chanel Curry is an Army reservist from Cleveland, Ohio. Her
story is similar to that of far too many servicemembers. They
served bravely in uniform. She is a 2006 graduate of Cleveland
Heights High.
In her early 20, she was mobilized in 2009 for 2 years and
was sent to Iraq and Kuwait. After returning Stateside, she
found a job in Atlanta. Yet, here is where her story is
unfortunately shared by far too many other servicemembers.
While employed in Atlanta, she still needed to travel to
Cleveland due to her military commitment. Because of time
missed serving her country, serving her community, she was
eventually let go by her employer in a State hundreds of miles
away.
From March to December, March 2011 to December 2011, she
was homeless. She found a homeless call center information that
year, December 2011, was connected with a Grant and Per Diem
provider. There she got the help that she should have received
much, much earlier.
She has gone through the initial stages of HUD-VASH. An
inspection of our chosen unit will occur this week. She left
the Grant and Per Diem program and is now staying with her
sister until the voucher process is complete. I understand that
could be as early as this week. She is also interviewing with
four employers for a full-time job.
I hope this will be a success story, unfortunate beginning
but a success story. By any measure, she deserves what she
earned while serving our country in uniform. Her testimony
today, like her service to her country overseas, shows a moral
courage and a commitment to our country that so many veterans
have exhibited. She served then, and she is serving now.
I thank you and thank Chanel for being here and thank you
also to Sandra Strickland for her work.
Thank you.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
At this time now, I would like to welcome and thank all of
our witnesses for being here today.
First, we are very pleased, as I mentioned, to have Sandra
Strickland. She is a veteran of the U.S. Army who will speak to
us today about her experience as a homeless veteran. Ms.
Strickland, thank you for your service to our country and for
your willingness to come here today and your courage to share
your story with all of us.
After that, we will hear from Reverend Scott Rogers. He is
the Executive Director of Asheville Buncombe Community
Christian Ministry and accompanying Reverend Rogers is John
Driscoll, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Following Reverend Rogers, we will hear from Marsha Four.
She is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Veterans
Multiservice and Education Center, testifying on behalf of the
Vietnam Veterans of America.
And then finally, we will hear from Linda Halliday. She is
the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audits and
Evaluations in the VA's Office of Inspector General.
Accompanying her today is a fellow Washingtonian--good to have
you here, Gary Abe, the Director of the Inspector General's
Seattle Audit Division.
So, Ms. Strickland, we will begin with you. Again thank you
so much for coming and sharing your story.
STATEMENT OF SANDRA STRICKLAND, U.S. ARMY VETERAN
Ms. Strickland. You are welcome, of course. I am an Army
veteran. I served in the Army for six and a half years. I
joined the military in 1986. I served in Germany and also Fort
Hood, Texas.
I was not able to go to Desert Storm, but I did transition
out and moved to Virginia to open up my own business, did a
great job. Unfortunately, my husband and I just had issues. In
December 2010, I was involved in a domestic violence situation
and so I left the home with my two children, ages seven and
five at the time.
I then stayed at a domestic violence shelter. So, I am
familiar with how a shelter is, how it is to be homeless. I
would have never thought that I could have been homeless.
Like I said, I was a business owner, did not graduate
college, did not go to college, but I had 20-plus years in the
administration field. So, just a wealth of experience.
Like I said, I would have never thought that I would have
been a homeless person. Normally, when you think of a homeless
person, you think of a person that is on the street. You never
think about a person that, you know, has a life; that, you
know, is a mother.
So, I think it is a silent epidemic that people do not view
female veterans as becoming homeless. But we are.
From the shelter, I was able to start working at a
temporary agency. It was not full-time but, you know, it was
enough to get me started. I then was able to get a full-time
position at the assignment I was working on. I was able to get
an apartment for me and my children.
But then, I went into work on a Monday. They told us on a
Friday, I mean, on a Monday that our last day was going to be
that Friday.
So here it is I am looking at unemployment. I was
unemployed for about 6 months. I did get unemployment
compensation but it did end. Resources started running out,
going through custody issues with my children. I was not able
to maintain physical custody of them because of my situation.
So, it was just a long struggle. So, with that, I am facing
homelessness. I called out to the VA center. They were not able
to help me. So, I got in contact with an organization called
Final Salute and they assist female veterans in obtaining safe
and suitable housing. That is where I am right now.
My road to homelessness, I feel that there are not enough
funds being sent to the private organizations. I mean, we have
the big organizations. The one that I was in, the domestic
violence shelter, the funds were not even used to help the
victims.
You know, when you are homeless, you feel dehumanized
because it is like you have lost everything. People tend to
treat you differently. I just think that at least there could
be more support for us. Our voices need to be heard.
As far as when I reached out to the Veterans
Administration, I am thinking because I am a veteran I would be
able to get assistance. At the time there were no funds
available. They referred me or said they could give me a list
of shelters to go to.
I did not have a full-time job. So, I am like where are the
resources? You know, there is no one to direct us.
It is just a plight that I do not think a lot of people or
society has a clue as to what homelessness is. Then when you
are homeless, you tend to not want to reach out because people
tend to treat you differently. They tend to treat you like you
are an outcast.
I did reach out to an organization to get help with my
rental assistance. They were able to help me. But, you know,
the funds were dried up and so then, like I said, I am facing
eviction. I have two children that I need to worry about.
I just feel that there needs to be a voice put on
homelessness as far as female homelessness and females with
children because if I were facing the situation that I had to
go to a shelter per se, I would have just basically just stayed
in my car because the shelter that I went to previously, like I
said, it was very cold during that time. It was December 2010.
The blankets that they gave us was very, very thin. We were
able to work in the pantry so I saw that they had donated a lot
of comforters, new comforters at that.
So, that particular night I asked the resident manager, you
know, could I get some blankets for my children. I did not
really care about myself but my children were freezing. She
said that, you know, we cannot, you just have to take these and
she gave me blankies, little baby blankies.
I asked her, I said, well, there are comforters in the
pantry. Why can I not have some of those? She said like, well,
those are for someone else, and I am like who are they for? I
am in a shelter, you know. I know shelters get donated items.
So, why are we sleeping under blankets that are very paper
thin.
The organization that I am in now, I do not really look at
it as a shelter. It is a transitional home. I look at it as a
home. I do not know what I would have done had that
organization not been there for me.
I met with the owner, Jasmine Booth. She made me aware it
is a 2-year program. I let her know my situation. You know, I
am still looking for full-time employment. As I speak now, I am
still working as a temp through a temp agency. But that was my
saving grace.
The program that is there I believe that when shelters do
extend their hands to help a homeless person, that they should
have resources in place to not enable them to stay homeless but
to provide resources that will get them on their feet to be
able to become selfsufficient.
The support, I do not know, I just cannot stress or talk
about the support for homeless people, homeless veterans at
that. A comment was made a woman veteran is different than a
woman because we have unique needs, and I just think that that
needs to be addressed.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Strickland follows:]
Prepared Statement of Sandra Strickland, Army Veteran
Thank you for the opportunity to share my journey to homelessness.
I hope that through my shared experience, it will enlighten society's
perspective of what homelessness ``looks'' like, give a voice to this
silent epidemic that plagues our society, and spark an urgency to end
homelessness by developing a process to empower a homeless person with
the resources and assistance that they need, instead of providing
quick-fix remedies that only enable their homelessness.
My name is Sandra Strickland. I was born in Gulfport, MS, and I am
a homeless 43 year-old African-American female, Army Veteran. I
currently reside in Fairfax, Virginia, in a transitional home operated
by Final Salute, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to
provide homeless female Veterans with safe and suitable housing. I am a
mother of 4 wonderful children ages 22, 21, 8, and 6, and I am
currently separated from my spouse, who is also an Army Veteran.
I joined the Army after graduating high school in June 1986, and
was sent to Ft. Jackson, SC, to complete Basic Training, as well as
Advanced Individualized Training (AIT) for the Administrative Assistant
(71L). Upon completion of AIT, I went to my first duty station in
Kitzingen, Germany and served as my company's Personnel Administration
Center (PAC), and later as the Executive Secretary for the Battalion
Commander, who personally requested that I be assigned to this
position. After leaving Germany, I was stationed at Ft. Hood, TX, where
I was assigned to the Transportation Motor Pool and assisted in the
deployment of soldiers going to and returning from Operation Desert
Storm.
In January 1990 I processed out of the Army and received an
Honorable Discharge. With the skills and training that I acquired from
the Army, I set out to live the American dream and become a business
owner. Life happened along the way and in November 2002 I met and
married my husband. We talked about opening up an auto repair shop
together, but about 4 months after we were married, he was called back
to active duty to assist in training the soldiers who were being sent
to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC, while I
stayed at hour home in Stafford, VA. In 2006, my spouse was released
from active duty and when he returned home, we opened up our auto
repair shop in January 2007. Our marriage suffered because of the
separation, among other things, and we continued to grow apart and
eventually talked about divorce.
Two days before Christmas of 2010, when my spouse picked up our
children from school and preparatory academy, he made a verbal threat
to the Academy Director that he was going to kill me and the kids. That
was the day that I took my kids and left, and ended up living in a
domestic violence shelter with my two younger children in tow (ages 6
and 4 at the time). At the time I was working as a temp on a Government
contract so I managed to save enough money to move me and my children
into a 1 bedroom w/den apartment in February 2011. Everything was going
great until I walked into work on Monday, April 25, 2011, and was told
that the contract that I was working on was ending and Friday,
April 29, 2011, would be my last day.
I became unemployed on April 29, 2011, and despite being a Veteran,
going on countless interviews and submitting countless resumes, and
having a wealth of administrative experience, I remained unemployed
until September 2011. Although I received unemployment compensation for
a brief time, my finances became depleted and the eviction notices
started coming. Also during this time I was dealing with custody issues
for my children. Although the court awarded joint custody to me and my
spouse, I was awarded temporary physical custody until such time as we
went to court for the final custody hearing. That hearing took place
and although we both maintained joint custody, the judge reversed the
order and awarded physical custody to my spouse because he still had
the marital home that our children grew up in which was in their best
interest to stay there, and because my apartment was out of their
current school district, it wouldn't be in their best interest to
transition them to a new school for the upcoming school term. Not only
was I in shock by the decision, I felt as though I was being victimized
because I chose take my children and leave and unhealthy environment,
regardless of the fact that we were homeless. Not only did I lose
physical custody of my children, I eventually ended up losing my
apartment because I couldn't afford to pay the rent, due to the lack of
funds from being unemployed and not having a full-time job. So now, I
am homeless and have been reduced to an ``every other weekend'' mother
because my children no longer live with me every day.
Although I don't have a college degree, I have over 20+ years of
experience in the administration field, obtained from my many years of
on the job training in the non-profit, government and association
sectors, entertainment and media industry, working in positions as a
CEO, CFO, Executive Secretary, Office Manager, Business Owner,
Administrative Assistant, Grants Administrative Lead, Receptionist,
Overnight stocker, just to name a few. That, coupled with being a
military Veteran, has yet to open up any doors for a full-time job or
have an employer offer me a full-time job because I am a Veteran.
When I received my first eviction notice, I reached out to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for financial assistance and assistance
with obtaining full-time employment. When I spoke to one of their
representatives on the telephone, their concern wasn't about my
possible homelessness or unemployment, the representative was more
concerned with my mental capacity--did I feel that I was mentally
stable with everything that I had going on. She suggested that I come
to the VA Office in DC to get registered into their system and be
evaluated. Furthermore, I was told that they did not have any more
vouchers for housing and the best that they could do was provide me
with a list of shelters for me and my children to go to if we did
become homeless. As for assisting me with employment, I was told to go
to the unemployment office and file a claim for unemployment. I hung up
the telephone feeling hopeless. The one organization that I thought I
would at least get some temporary assistance from was only worried
about my mental capacity and didn't go above and beyond to address my
current needs.
I was able to get rental assistance from a local organization in
Stafford, VA and Final Salute, Inc., as well as receive public
assistance. However, that was just a band-aid because I knew that if I
didn't get a job soon I would be faced with eviction again, and
ultimately homelessness. I started working for a Temp Agency in
September 2011, however because I owed so much in arrears for rent,
there was no way that I could catch up with the salary that I was
bringing in. The owner of Final Salute, Inc. called me a week before
Thanksgiving 2011 to follow-up with me to see how things were going
with me and I told her that I was in the eviction process again and
would ultimately be facing homelessness. She made me aware of the
transitional home that she had just opened that month and let me know
that there was an opening there if I wanted to move in. I met with her
a few days later for an interview and the day before Thanksgiving 2011
I moved into the Final Salute, Inc. transitional home. I call it a
transitional home because I've lived in a shelter and this home is
nothing like a shelter--it is my HOME. It is a 2-year program that
allows me the opportunity to get back on the path of self-sufficiency
and independence, and at the conclusion of the program, I will be given
assistance to obtain a home of my own. During the 2-year stay, I am
required to adhere to an individualized goal plan, provided with
resources and support to help me achieve my goals. One of my goals is
to own and operate an auto repair shop that is female-owned and
operated. I also have an Administration/Consulting business that I
started in 2009 that I am working on getting up and operational. To
assist me with those goals of entrepreneurship, Final Salute, Inc.
sponsored me to attend the V-Wise Conference that just took place in
Orlando, FL. I am very thankful for the Final Salute, Inc. program and
honestly, it has been my saving grace. Unfortunately, there are not
enough programs such as Final Salute, Inc. whose focus is on preventing
homelessness among female veterans and not just providing a band-aid
remedy.
Federal grants and resources are being given to well-established
organizations, and the newly formed and unknown organizations such as
Final Salute, Inc. are overlooked, and to me that is a travesty. Money
is being poured into these other organizations; however some of these
organizations are not addressing the core issue of a person's reason
for being homeless. Instead of helping, they are enabling them to
remain a product of the homelessness cycle, and the funds are not being
used to provide assistance and resources for the homeless person. I can
speak first hand from an experience that I encountered while living in
the domestic violence shelter. During that time it was winter and the
blankets that they provided for the residents beds were very thin. On
one particular day, I had to clean out the storage pantry and saw that
they had an abundance of NEW comforter sets still in their original
package. I was beside myself. Here we are freezing at night and there
are NEW comforter sets just sitting in the pantry not being used! Mind
you, there was a problem with the heating system so they could only set
the thermostat to 70 degrees. You would think that with the funds they
were receiving, they would have gotten the heating system fixed! That
night, I asked the Night Resident Manager if I could get a heavier
blanket for my children because the temperature had dropped to the low
20's that night, and instead of going into the pantry to give me a
couple of the comforter sets, she gave me three small child-sized
``blankees.'' I asked her about the NEW comforter sets in the pantry
and I was told that they were being used for something else? Really?
What else could they be used for other than for the residents in the
house was the inside question I asked myself.
This is one of the reasons why women that are homeless would prefer
to stay homeless because of the treatment received within the
shelters--shelters that are meant to help, but end up doing more harm
than good. Once someone is processed into the shelter, they are made to
feel like a child and although I understand policy, procedures and
rules, we shouldn't be treated like we are prisoners. We already feel
dehumanized because we are homeless, and the added stress and
dictatorship doesn't make it any better. As a woman with children, I
would suffer that type of treatment just so that my children could have
a roof over their heads, but if it were just me, the shelter would not
be my preference to live and I would seek out other means to survive,
as do most homeless women. While in the shelter, you are not asked what
your goals are, what is it that you want to do. You are given resources
to go to, with no real guidance. You are told what you have to do, and
sometimes how you have to do it. No individualized care or concern for
the homeless person.
The Department of Veteran Affairs will not be able to end
homelessness as a sole organization. It is going to require the
affiliation with organizations such as Final Salute, Inc. coming
together and creating partnerships, so as to provide the small, unknown
organizations access to the funds and resources needed that will enable
them to have viable and thriving programs that are addressing the CORE
needs of the homeless and curing the epidemic. The needs of a homeless
person have to be discovered first, and then devise an individualized
plan that will address the needs and put them on a path to self-
sufficiency so that they aren't a repeat case, or a product of society.
When I lived in the domestic violence shelter, I went to work
everyday and it wasn't until a situation happened where I couldn't go
in to work one day that I had to tell my supervisor what my situation
was. She was taken aback and could not believe that I was homeless
because I didn't fit society's ``picture'' of what homelessness
``looks'' like. I am what homelessness looks like, but I am inspired
every day because I am blessed to be in a program that uplifts,
encourages and empowers. I am not an alcoholic, I am not strung out on
drugs, I don't have mental health issues, nor do I have any health
disabilities. I am a very healthy woman who is a mother, a business
woman who dresses in business suits (name brand suits when I used to be
able to afford to do so), who has over 20+ years of experience in the
administration industry, who is a striving entrepreneur who started two
businesses of her own, who is a military veteran. According to society,
I am not supposed to be homeless, but I am--not by choice but by
circumstances.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much. We really appreciate
your testimony. Thank you for being here.
Reverend Rogers.
STATEMENT OF REVEREND SCOTT ROGERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRY; ACCOMPANIED BY
JOHN DRISCOLL, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NATIONAL
COALITION FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
Mr. Rogers. Chairman Murray and Ranking Member Richard
Burr, and thank you, Senator Brown, for those wonderful and
kind words, distinguished Members of the Senate Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, it is my honor to present this testimony on
behalf of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry,
familiarly known around the Asheville as ABCCM, but also to be
here on the half of the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans
and John Driscoll, who is not only a strong leader for all of
us providing services but one who I am happy to call my friend.
All of us providing services to veterans are committed to
the 5-year plan to end homelessness for all of our veterans.
ABCCM serves both men and women veterans. We have about 200
men. We have about a dozen women veterans in separate
facilities.
But last year in 2011 ABCCM ended homelessness for 302
veterans through our jobs program with HVRP and the Veterans
Workforce Investment Program with jobs averaging $14 an hour
and at about the cost of $1,100 per placement as opposed to the
national average of $2,600 per placement.
We also placed 87 disabled veterans into permanent
supportive housing. You see, we ended homelessness for 389 of
the 437 veterans that we served last year. How do we do this?
Well, it is laid out here with several principles, nine of
them in my testimony. But first, I want to say that it is our
support of 300 churches, congregations of all sizes, colors,
all faith groups who come together to join the government's
efforts, the Veterans Affairs efforts in ending homelessness.
We engaged about 3,200 volunteers just in our veterans
restoration quarters and our Steadfast House for women.
These congregations and volunteers did not just receive
these dollars from the VA and from the Department of Labor but
they matched them. They are there with their food, their
clothes, their financial support, particularly their volunteer
time for training and mentoring so that we are doubling the
impact of those resources to provide not only great
professional staff and services but especially that boundless
energy from our volunteers.
Second, we really have strong support and participation
from the veterans' service organizations like the American
Legion, DAV, the Military Officers Association, Vietnam
Veterans for Peace, and many others.
Third, our formally homeless veterans have a culture of
giving back. They do not want to leave anyone behind. You see
it begins with our formerly homeless veterans who are at the
front desk who are saying to other veterans, both men and
women, welcome home.
In fact, it was the desire of formerly homeless veterans to
give back that the American Legion posts in our area, in
Hendersonville and in Asheville and the surrounding western
North Carolina, put together Legion Post 526 that now has about
137 members.
They were the first, as we understand it, to receive their
national charter and operate out of a homeless facility, our
veterans restoration quarters.
Fourth, it is the Charles George VA medical center in
Asheville, North Carolina, that provides the high quality
medical home resources. It is our local continuum of care with
about 40 agencies working together because, as you know,
collaboration is the critical key, and I just thank all of our
folks back in Asheville for their support.
These principles can be summed up in a couple of words. One
is respect. Respect for every veteran to be empowered to make
their choices and to have a clear sense of self determination.
These are laid out beautifully by the Grant and Per Diem
program's leadership.
Two is the flexibility to build on local innovation and
partnerships that employ and house our veterans.
Three is building on an incentive-based culture and not an
entitlement culture, by rewarding those who take responsibility
for themselves and others.
Four is working on the rapid re-housing and prevention
strategies that reduces the need for transitional housing. We
put back into homes 276 persons last year which kept us from
having to build another 300-bed shelter.
We submitted supportive services for a veterans' families
proposal in hope that we will be able to build on with that
partnership our own homeless-prevention rehousing.
We commend the 2013 budget priorities. We hope you might
consider adding three other items. First is a cost-of-living
adjustment for the Grant and Per Diem of about two to 3
percent.
Second is a capital challenge grant for Grant and Per Diems
because we need the extra help to expand and improve our
housing facilities and transportation, particularly for women.
Right now we would like to match you dollar for dollar in order
to expand and improve those facilities and services.
Third is providing innovative funding for more education
and training and innovative funding that would provide and
utilize a partnership between the VA medical centers and local
professionals in the treatment of PTSD.
So, thanks again for your commitment to our veterans and to
implementing the principles that will help us all end
homelessness for our veterans.
As a pastor, Madam Chairman, I will continue to pray for
your wisdom and the courage of this Committee and our Congress
to offer the best to our veterans.
Thank you for giving us the tools to serve.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Rogers follows:]
Prepared Statement of Reverend Scott Rogers, Executive Director,
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry
Chairman Patty Murray, Ranking Member Richard Burr, and
Distinguished Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans'
Affairs: It is my honor to present this testimony on behalf of the
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (hereafter ABCCM) and
on behalf of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) with
my friend Mr. John Driscoll, NCHV President and CEO. I want to
recognize the other guests in the room who are also concerned about
ending homelessness among our veterans.
introduction
ABCCM has had a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Grant and
Per Diem (GPD) contract since 2003. We currently have four Grant and
Per Diem programs which encompass 148 homeless men and 10 homeless
women (mothers with children) for a total of 158 beds. This makes us
the third-largest contractor of Grant and Per Diem services in the
Nation. Our combined campus facilities of 12.5 acres, with 11 acres for
men and 1.5 acres for women, makes us one of the largest facilities for
serving homeless veterans in the Nation.
Under ABCCM's umbrella, we offer employment and training services
through a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Homeless Veterans
Reintegration Program (HVRP) grant. Last year we placed 201 homeless
veterans back into the workforce at an average cost of $1,100 per
participant, compared to $2,600 per participant nationally. We were
recently honored with being included in the HVRP Best Practices
document for the DOL-Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS).
We also administer the DOL Veterans Workforce Investment Program
(VWIP), which, through education and training, placed 101 veterans into
new careers in 2011. Most of these were veterans recently released from
the military. We found this program to be the most effective in helping
them retool, reclaim, and embrace a new career path to sustain their
families. We regret that this program is only slated for one more year
of funding, and hope the Senate will take a lead in restoring VWIP. The
impact of putting 302 veterans back into the workforce at an average of
$14.11/hour generated about $8.8 million in payroll in 2011.
Both of these services are offered under the larger umbrella of
ABCCM, which is supported by about 300 congregations of all sizes,
nationalities, and faith groups. ABCCM is volunteer-driven with over
4,600 volunteers who actively participated in 2011. We served over
50,000 men, women, and children (unduplicated) in our community of
about 250,000. This means we touched one in five persons in Buncombe
County, North Carolina.
Other services offered by ABCCM include:
``Crisis Ministry'' services, which include emergency
assistance of food, clothes, support to prevent eviction and utility
cutoffs, heating assistance, and transportation.
A vibrant Jail Ministry.
One of the largest free clinics in North Carolina,
offering medical, dental, and pharmacy care to about half of the
uninsured in our county.
Two additional education and training programs supported
by DOL's Pathways Out of Poverty and a Young Parents Demonstration
Program called Circles.
Three decades ago there was a strong emphasis on public/private
partnerships, which gave the government new opportunities to combine
its entitlement programs with private innovations. Two decades ago, we
saw new strides made as the government sought to purchase services that
were better provided by the community and community-based
organizations. During the last decade, we have seen the government add
the opportunity to partner with faith-based organizations.
Thank you for opening the door with us to explore public/private,
community- and faith-based partnerships. As a faith-based organization
and one of the leading homeless veteran service providers in the
country, ABCCM is demonstrating that this strategy has a major return
on the Congressional investment. We commend Congress and the
President's support of the VA Grant Per Diem program, which funds about
14,500 beds and, according to NCHV, has stemmed the tide of
homelessness for our veterans.
Even during these difficult economic times, we have made
significant strides in reducing the overall number of homeless
veterans. Thanks to the VA Grant and Per Diem program and our
collaborating partner--the Charles George VA Medical Center--Asheville,
North Carolina--we have changed homelessness among our veterans by
placing 82-91% in the workforce and 73-89% in permanent housing since
2008.
keys to success
Collaboration is a key to our success. We are extremely grateful to
VA for offering additional support to its medical centers to provide
access to primary and mental health care for Grant and Per Diem
providers. The Charles George VAMC in Asheville is a critical partner
in our success. They consistently rank among the top-10 health care
providers. This is demonstrated by the level of commitment they extend
to our homeless veterans to be their medical home. Their care of our
wounded warriors is exemplary and makes it possible for us to accept
some of our highest and most at-risk veterans. We have had men who have
been discharged from state mental health institutions with hopeless
prognoses come to us and receive quality care at the Charles George
VAMC, then go on to thrive in our environment. The combination of
putting them in a safe and supportive environment, where they live with
other veterans who embrace them as companions, mentors, trainers, and
caregivers, adds a value that enables us to consistently help these men
and women achieve stability, sustainable incomes, and permanent
housing.
The Charles George VAMC in Asheville has adopted a ``Working Five
Year Plan'' to end homelessness. They have adopted six pillars in the
plan to prevent and end homelessness, which includes VA leadership
involvement and support:
(1) Outreach and education
(2) Housing and supportive services
(3) Treatment services
(4) Prevention services
(5) Income, employment, and access to benefits
(6) Community partnerships
We have outlined specific metrics to expand outreach, reduce
barriers to services, and increase resources through our collaborative
efforts to offer veterans comprehensive services along the continuum of
care.
Another key collaboration in our community is the Asheville
Homeless Coalition and Continuum of Care. Our community is one of the
early pioneers in developing and implementing the Ten Year Plan to End
Homelessness. We have modified that plan in recent years to incorporate
the Five Year Plan to End Homelessness among Veterans, as well as a
plan to end chronic homelessness in our community in five years. This
group of over 40 providers and advocacy groups has worked tirelessly to
provide wrap-around services and strategic interventions, and can
successfully report a steady decline in the total number of homeless
over the last five years and significant reductions of 50% of the
chronically homeless in our community.
ABCCM's homeless veterans programs create an additional level of
success and cost-effectiveness that set us apart from our peers. First
and foremost is our utilization of volunteers from the faith community.
We create opportunities for volunteers to serve at every level from
working at the front desk to welcome our veterans home, to working on
cook teams and as servers to help provide three meals a day for the 250
men on our Veterans Restoration Quarters (VRQ) campus and the 45 women
and children at Steadfast House. In addition, these volunteers offer 24
different training programs at the VRQ and 16 different personal skill-
building training programs at Steadfast House.
Personal skill-building programs that equip our men and women to
begin to manage every aspect of their daily lives include: sobriety and
recovery through AA and NA groups; financial stability through banking
and money management training; personal hygiene; health care training
and spiritual formation through esteem-building, with the discovery of
meaning and direction of one's place in the community; and work
preparedness and job readiness training. From a practical standpoint,
we rely on volunteers who have both experienced and overcome these
challenges in their own lives.
We depend heavily on veteran service organizations such as The
American Legion, The Military Officers Association, Disabled American
Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans for Peace, to name a few. We have the
first nationally chartered American Legion Post for homeless veterans
(#526), which is now made up of 137 formerly homeless veterans located
in our facilities and giving back to our community. Our volunteers
create a culture of safety, encouragement, and respect that nourishes
the body, mind, and soul.
The second key characteristic is developing a culture of personal
responsibility in an incentive-based system instead of an entitlement-
based system. We go out of our way to make sure that every veteran
knows they are being ``welcomed home.'' Operation Welcome Home is a
serious greeting. It is not unusual for a homeless veteran (man or
woman) to respond to this outpouring of hospitality with skepticism and
sarcastic remarks like: ``Sure, and when do I have to be out?'' Our
response to them is always: ``You are home now.'' This culture of
helping our veterans rediscover what a safe and secure place our
community can be provides the ultimate level of respect. We build on
this level of respect in order to help them rediscover healthy routines
in their lives--routines of good personal hygiene and caring for one's
body by seeking appropriate primary care. We help them stabilize
emotional and mental health by working with the Charles George VAMC to
provide for their pharmacy and therapeutic needs.
A third key factor was aligning our success with the national
trainings and best practices that are shared between providers and set
by the GPD program. NCHV provides an invaluable function for service
providers nationwide by bringing us together to share these best
practices. I believe it was out of these conferences that VA
homelessness staff were able to put together a set of characteristics
to exemplify the best we can offer to our homeless veterans.
These characteristics include a campus-like environment to allow
for housing, training, and recreational opportunities. This environment
would be within a couple of miles of a VAMC to promote easy access to
primary care, along with mental health, substance abuse, and PTSD
services. The GPD program would work closely with DOL HVRP programs for
education, and employment training and placement. Permanent supportive
housing units connected to the property, or community collaboration in
place, would give veterans priority and an immediate place to go.
Ideally, the location would be away from the community's known centers
for illegal drug activities and more closely aligned with stable
neighborhoods and the VAMCs.
In ABCCM's case, we embraced these recommendations and were able to
identify a location for our Veteran Restoration Quarters (VRQ) that met
all these criteria. The VRQ is located within one mile of the Charles
George VAMC. We have 10 acres and five buildings on the property,
including a 6,000-square-foot education and training center. We also
have HVRP and VWIP programs under the larger ABCCM umbrella, which
offers concentrated education, job training, on-the-job training,
apprenticeships, and job placement and follow-up for 18 months after
placement.
ABCCM's incentive model grew out of the great work done by the VA
Grant and Per Diem leadership. I want to commend Roger Casey, Chelsea
Watson, and their team for putting together an application process that
is built on best-practice strategies in the country. I believe their
application process with its core assumptions forms a great foundation
for any GPD applicant to successfully grow their services for homeless
veterans. I concur with NCHV in that the GPD program has faced the
ultimate test by continuing to lower the number of homeless veterans
during the worst economic crisis in our Nation's history. The GPD
program needs to be sustained by Congress as one of the primary
strategies in both the prevention and successful re-housing of our
veterans.
A fourth key factor is found in our incentive system. A veteran
earns points to acquire quality personal living items, along with a
system of four steps that help our veterans' progress. The first is
called our Stabilization Phase, where a man or woman is able to develop
healthy daily living routines, stabilize emotions, and take care of
physical health needs. They are able to discover a new sense of meaning
and direction in their lives with proactive steps and support from
peers and case managers. We perform routine room inspections along with
laundry services so that their environment is clean and sanitary.
Because of the support of our many congregations, we are able to
provide personal hygiene kits, clothing, and other basic necessities.
We offer congregate meals provided by 90 different cook teams who offer
nutritious, balanced cuisines, thanks to the dietary support and
planning from the Charles George VAMC staff.
Veterans are brought into this stabilization phase through ABCCM's
outstanding outreach program. We have four Crisis Ministry centers that
offer food, clothing, household items, and financial assistance, as
well as two independent day shelter programs--one for men and one for
women. ABCCM consistently has heard from our veterans that they trusted
us because we did what we said; we cared for them before we knew they
were veterans; and we offered an opportunity for personal growth and
transformation through the integrity and success of other formerly
homeless veterans and veteran volunteers in the community.
The second level is our Foundation Level, where men and women begin
to live out and build on the personal skills they need. For those with
mental health or substance abuse issues, this means developing emotion
management skills, communication skills, and sobriety recovery skills.
For those with physical health needs, it means tending to primary and
specialty care, keeping appointments, medication management, and
adopting a healthier lifestyle. We know that 51% of our veterans are
diabetic, 26% deal with hypertension, and 12% deal with COPD. Having a
full-time nurse on staff to monitor recovery for both inpatient and
outpatient services, along with health and wellness service plans, is a
key to our veterans' health stability.
Another foundational piece is honoring the faith perspective of
each veteran by helping them engage in their own spiritual formation by
participating with local congregations and faith groups of their
choice. We offer holistic classes and experiences that help address
esteem issues. We offer Bible studies to address spiritual issues in
order to stabilize that deeper sense of hope, meaning, and purpose.
We lay another foundational piece by completing an assessment of
their fundamental vocational goals and skills through a detailed work
history. We offer to enhance their existing skills and experiences
through work preparedness or job readiness training. The church and
veterans groups, who volunteer with us, give resources for the basic
necessities so that we can provide more of the GPD resources on
education, training, and case management. When faith groups provide
resources like food, clothes, household items, hygiene items, cleaning
supplies, laundry supplies, plus vehicles from bicycles to cars and
trucks, we can prioritize our funds by helping these men and women with
the developmental skills they need to grow. As our veterans take steps
to success, demonstrating that they will be responsible with their
daily routines and activities, then we know they are ready to carry out
their greater responsibilities for education, training, and employment.
During this phase of the program, we help our men and women
embrace--and complete--old and new dreams through education and
training, or by jumping back onto the career ladder. Putting these
foundational pieces into place prepares them to move to the next level.
At the Cornerstone Level, we start building on four cornerstones of
their lives. The first cornerstone utilizes traditional education
classes, including secondary education, and campus classes. The
veterans begin to embrace their potential.
Our veterans develop proficiencies by building on their personal
skills and utilizing those skills to complete unfinished Bachelor's and
Master's degree programs. Some re-enter the workforce through on-the-
job training or apprenticeship programs. Some acquire or restore
certification and licensure in their vocation, resulting in new
directions and careers. We are successful in helping these men and
women choose a career path where training, certifications, and degrees
result in high-paying jobs. For example, in the field of health care,
North Carolina offers a 14-month RN program for those with a Bachelor's
degree, who can walk into a $4,000/month job. We have internet
technology (IT) jobs, where men and women can complete six months of
certifications and go on to careers starting at $5,000-$7,000 per
month. We have a 4-5 week truck driver's training program, which helps
our men and women immediately start earning $40,000-$105,000 per year
in the transportation industry.
We offer green collar job training in the area of solar technology,
building analyst, LEED building design, and biofuel technicians--all
careers that offer opportunities at a living wage and higher. We
partner with our local community college, whose culinary arts and
hospitality management programs are consistently ranked among the best
in the country. Each year we graduate top chefs who go on to highly
successful and lucrative careers in world-class facilities like the
Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate making $15-20/hour. Having put
two cornerstones of education and employment training in place, the
veterans may also add/build on other cornerstones like a track record
of sobriety and/or emotional stability. They may add the cornerstone of
building a strong network of friends and co-workers, which prepares
them for the next level.
Our veterans then move to the Pillar Level, where they exercise
full autonomy and self-determination by embracing their own place in
the community through income stability and permanent housing. In 2011,
76% were discharged into permanent housing and 90% of our men with
disabilities were discharged into permanent supportive housing--
compared to a national target of 60%. At the Pillar Level, we encourage
these men and women to build sustainable success by their reintegration
into four ``families.''
The first is their civic family. The civic family is made up of
other veteran support groups including The American Legion and DAV, or
support groups such as AA, NA, etc. Some also participate in civic
organizations such as Rotary and Kiwanis. These civic families become
an important pillar to building strong social networks in their lives.
The second family is their work family. We help our veterans understand
that they are a part of the corporate team, instead of just punching a
clock. We bring their employer onboard to help further the professional
and personal growth of our men and women through their tutelage or on-
the-job training. We have even seen situations where employers have
been willing to turn over their business to a veteran when no other
successor was in view. The third family is their family of faith. Our
veteran men and women tell us that it is critical for them to engage
with their own family of faith and with spiritually nurturing and
developing persons. This becomes a part of their lifelong support
system, which helps them grow their hope, as well as have a well-
balanced perspective on life and their place in the community. Last is
reunification with their biological family. Only about one in four of
our veterans are able reunite with their biological families due to the
severe trauma of burned bridges. Many of these families have endured
the worst, and all too often, these relationships prove to be beyond
repair. On the other hand, in cases where reconciliation has been
possible, the involvement of our veterans' biological families is
frequently one of the most powerful components to predicting long-term
sustainability in their lives. Encouraging our veterans to develop and
establish new family ties is what we see most often that gives them
that sense of completeness in their reintegration into the community.
The fifth key factor to our success is utilizing volunteers and
incorporating businesses as key partners. Involvement of the faith
community means getting our message out to key community leaders within
those faith groups. Volunteers from the faith community are often the
same ones who are making hiring decisions, education decisions, and
offering advancement opportunities through their networks in the
community.
Our faith community volunteers also open doors for training and
employment in the community that would otherwise be closed. Our Chamber
of Commerce and businesses in the community have already developed a
``hire our veterans'' culture. We have 111 businesses that actively
give priority and preference to hiring veterans. We have 60 private
landlords who are willing to offer permanent housing to our veterans.
Our Public Housing Authority has adopted a policy of working with our
homeless veterans, giving them first priority for open units, and is
fully cooperating with our HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)
program.
Our faith community has also taken a lead with our Homelessness
Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Programs (HPRP). ABCCM commits $60,000
each year to homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services,
which hugely benefits our veterans. We have four crisis centers that
provide access around the four corners of the county so that veterans
and others can avoid homelessness. We have recently applied for funding
through the VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program
and hope to add this to our list of program services.
We concur with NCHV's goals in an article published by John
Driscoll on Feb. 8, 2012, in which he highlights the need to gear up
for ``The Critical Year.'' We are grateful to Congress and the
President for the 2013 budget, which keeps America on track to end
veteran homelessness by 2015. We hope you will continue to support the
four key homeless veteran programs in the FY 2013 budget: GPD, SSVF,
HUD-VASH, and HVRP.
A sixth key factor is prudent investment in a highly committed and
professional staff, of which about half are veterans. We have great
administrative leadership in Mr. Michael Reich. We also developed a
Ph.D.-led substance abuse and recovery team of professionals along with
a PTSD team of professionals. Having these professional competencies on
staff helped us engage mental health professionals, support groups, and
volunteers from the faith community and broader community to meet these
core therapeutic needs of our men and women.
ABCCM offers these funding considerations:
1. A regular cost of living increase in the 2-3% range for the
Grant and Per Diem Program in order to maintain quality services.
2. Consider continuing and expanding the DOL Veterans Workforce
Investment Program (VWIP) in conjunction with SSVF. We support the
planned expansions of SSVF, which will help serve a number of high-risk
veterans and their families who are homeless with prevention and rapid
re-housing services.
3. Support VA medical centers in creating stronger mental health
services to address PTSD solutions for our veterans through creative
public/private partnerships, such as that exhibited by the GPD program.
We need additional funding for a number of successful treatment
modalities for PTSD. We have discovered that most mental health and
substance abuse issues tend to be symptomatic of the core PTSD
underlying issues. In addressing these issues through various
therapeutic modalities, we see tremendous transformational changes that
allow men and women veterans to successfully cope with day-to-day
living. These therapeutic modalities cover the waterfront of treatment
from art and music, to equestrian and pet therapies, to traditional
therapeutic programs. ABCCM and other GPD providers would welcome the
opportunity to add a public/private partnership with VA to provide
these therapeutic services in conjunction with resolving these core
issues.
4. Reinstate the capital grant program for vans for the Grant and
Per Diem program.
5. Consider creating a capital grant program for GPD programs to
offer capital expansion and improvements. ABCCM's Grant and Per Diem
programs need a boost of $3 million to eliminate debt on the
facilities. We would recommend that Congress consider a VA GPD Capital
Challenge grant, incorporating matching funds, so that capital funds
raised by the community would be matched one-to-one in order to help
with efforts to both retire debt and/or improve/expand facilities.
In summary, several key factors contribute to our success:
1. Our strong collaboration with the Charles George VA Medical
Center.
2. Our embrace of the principles set forth by the VA Grant and Per
Diem program.
3. Our strong community collaboration around the Continuum of Care
and the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, including the VA's Five Year
Plan to End Homelessness among Veterans.
4. Our strong partnership with veteran service organizations. Over
200 members from various veteran service organizations volunteer and
give back, the most important being the American Legion Post #526,
which has 137 formerly homeless veterans giving back to our homeless
veterans.
5. Our faith community. The faith community encompasses the 4,600+
volunteers who come alongside veterans at each critical phase as they
progress thorough our program. By being rooted in the community, they
give our veterans a way to be engaged in a new faith journey and
spiritual development--on campus, as well as giving a spiritual home
with networks of support off-campus in their congregation, synagogue,
or mosque. This is essential to the veteran's reintegration into
community.
6. Our incentive-based system, which counters the entitlement
culture. While each of us are committed to honoring the brave sacrifice
that our veterans have offered in sustaining the freedoms afforded in
our country, we cannot let our charity and compassion become crippling
instead of incentivizing and motivational. We encourage our veterans to
recognize their accomplishments and let each step of their journey
inspire them to continue along their path of restoration.
7. We recognize our veterans on a monthly and annual basis. We
celebrate their numerous accomplishments from simple certifications to
taking on large community projects as community leaders.
We need government support from wise leaders who allow these
services to engage the strengths of communities, with the freedom of
innovation and support that is tailored to the needs of veterans. This
should be coupled with responsible oversight and funding, which both
empowers and equips.
We hope the Senate will continue to incentivize community- and
faith-based organizations that can demonstrate they provide these
services with outcomes that are more cost-effective and provide long-
term solutions with a greater return on the public's investment.
We believe ABCCM is able to do this because of the value added not
just by public/private partnerships and community-based partnerships,
but also by faith-based partnerships. Bringing all aspects of the
community to address mind, body, emotional, and spiritual components
creates a comprehensive environment where our outcomes consistently
outperform the national norms and our cost-effectiveness is multiplied
by church and community support.
Our model produces success because it grows out of the microcosm of
the community in which it is situated. It produces success because the
microcosm of our community reflects shared values as well as shared
opportunities, which come through the volunteer leaders of our
community. ABCCM believes it has reflected the best of its community.
We trust that government will reflect its best by continuing to adopt
these principles and translate them into funding support, as well as
policy supports that continue to sustain our common goal of ending
homelessness for all our veterans by 2015.
I want to thank Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans for the opportunity to submit
our practices and recommendations. It is an honor to serve our veterans
in partnership with each of you. ABCCM will always be at your service,
and we look forward to every opportunity to serve with you.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
Ms. Four.
STATEMENT OF MARSHA FOUR, CHAIR, NATIONAL WOMEN VETERANS
COMMITTEE, VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
Ms. Four. Good morning. Thank you, Senator Murray, Senators
on the Committee, for allowing me to testify on behalf of
Vietnam Veterans of America, and I would say that I also thank
you for all of the great support you have given to HUD-VASH. It
has been a tremendous opportunity for the veterans and has seen
great advantage.
I also would like to, Mr. Brown mentioned that the snapshot
picture, I guess, of the number of homeless veterans that exist
today on the point in time count is 67,000 plus.
VVA does not feel that this is a true number also. But it
is a snapshot, and I think what it does show is that there has
been an impact made by the additional care, assistance,
services, and programs that have been coordinated to work at
helping to end homelessness. So, we feel that we are at least
seeing that these programs are doing something.
Although I have full testimony, which goes into great
detail, I am going to try to be very concise and sum up a few
mentions.
The Housing First model, which is a great push right now.
It is a monster push right now, and it is, in fact, a beautiful
housing model for veterans that fit in it. And it is also one
that is a great advantage to the women veterans because they
can have their children with them. They do not have to disrupt
the family situation. The kids can stay in school. They keep
the unit intact.
But it does not fit all veterans, not even all women
veterans. There are many veterans that are quite vulnerable and
that we cannot dismiss the opportunity or I should say the
responsibility of not eliminating or disintegrating a housing-
ready model for some of these veterans because even when, you
know, Secretary Shinseki first came out on eliminating
homelessness, he said do not close all the doors.
There are doors that should be left open because many
veterans will have to find their way to the right one. By
placing some of these veterans in the Housing First model, we
are setting them up for failure and back to the streets.
I would like to just make a couple of comments about the
Grant and Per Diem program because, in fact, nonprofit
agencies, without nonprofit agencies in the communities, the
attack on homeless would, for veterans, would be a greater
issue.
The Grant and Per Diem program, while it has been a
tremendous, you know, assistance in that realm for decades,
there are a few situations that cause great concern or great
impact and handicap the nonprofit agencies.
One is the ability to request an increase in the per diem
for the programs. In order to get the per diem increased,
nonprofits submit their last year's audit to show that there
was an override in the expenses and they need more money.
But nonprofit agencies do not have the pleasure of hiring
staff and augmenting program design up front in order to show
there is a loss because now in the cases of some nonprofits,
they have lost their lines of credit in banks. They have paid
interest rates on those lines of credit that are not
reimbursable.
So, I have proposed in my testimony a piece that could be
worked into the situation where we can, as we have with other
Federal agencies, nonprofits request budgets that would be used
in the coming year, draw down from that, and I describe that in
my testimony.
Another is the residential payments that we have to DDOT,
nonprofits have to deduct the payments that veterans would make
as a residential payments if they are in a nonprofit
residential program.
So that brings down again the cost to the program to the
agency. If that could be eliminating, the nonprofit agencies,
especially those that have more than one program, that have
home offices and programs scattered around, it is very
difficult to have a program if you cannot help to utilize these
moneys as discretionary, to keep the entire agency afloat
because if that agency is not solvent, it cannot operate the
program.
So, it is a handicap to those agencies that have many
programs to have to deduct residential payments from the
expense of the program.
We believe that there is an issue with consolidation of VA
Grant and Per Diem projects. There are some nonprofits who have
had capital grants, that get per diem for those. They have
expanded that program under per diem only grant and these two
grants now has separate project numbers which have to be turned
in and provided per diem payments based on percentages, and
those nonprofits receive several different percentage payments
based on the differences in the project numbers, and they still
have the same garbage collected and the same staff, and eat the
same food.
Another is the Grant and Per Diem service centers. I will
only say that they are, in fact, the gateway in from the
streets to the Housing First model. I ask you to look at that
testimony to see the significance of those programs.
Some are seeing two up to over 1,000 veterans, unique
veterans a year. They need some staffing grants because four
dollars and change does not make it for the veteran who comes
in for 1 hour and the staff has to work for 2 days to get them
housing.
We believe there is a great opportunity to expand the use
of the homeless Grant and Per Diem service centers. That is
outlined in my testimony. We believe the scope of their ability
and authority needs to be extended so that veterans who are
placed in Housing First can continue the case management they
need to stay there so that they can come back to the service
centers and continue that process.
We are also looking at how we could best utilize those and
morph program into something other than just homeless from the
streets but also homeless prevention and retention in housing.
Special-needs grants, appreciate the authority was extended
to them. However, the VA grant per diem did not put out any
grants for new programs.
Chairman Murray. If we could get you to wrap up your
testimony. We do have your written testimony. I want to make
sure we get to all of our witnesses.
Ms. Four. Yes, ma'am. I have addressed military sexual
trauma programs, the supportive services grants, the DOL, if we
could extend those opportunities for veterans, and of course,
the GAO report that I mentioned in the testimony.
I appreciate the opportunity to be here. I see that many of
us will impact the VA in a broad scope even through the mental
health departments, and I encourage the Committee to look at
the opportunity for nonprofits to continue to assist in this
realm.
Thank you, ma'am.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Four follows:]
Prepared Statement of Marsha Four, National Board of Directors, Chair,
National Women Veterans Committee, Vietnam Veterans of America
Senator Murray, Members of the Committee, Good Morning. On behalf
of Vietnam Veterans of American (VVA) I appreciate this opportunity to
provide testimony on ``Ending Homelessness Among Veterans.''
VVA recognizes the investment of energy and efforts being placed to
address this issue. Many Veterans have received the advantage of the
increased programs and services afforded to them under these
initiatives. We are here today to present some ideas and approaches
that could not only increase the positive outcomes of these advantages
but also bring relief to the community service providers who have also
dedicated themselves to this difficult situation of life, but also
enhance services to those men and women who face it.
Over the past two decades we have become increasingly more vested
in the recognition and address of the situation of homelessness among
Veterans. In looking back VVA well remembers the time when the VA
acknowledged that as many as 275,000 Veterans filled these roles. With
the legislative creation of the VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem (HGPD)
program and its program growth, the VA and community Veteran service
providers have been able to chip away at this deplorable situation of
life that existed for so many who served this county in its Armed
Forces. Startling is the fact that the percent of homeless women
Veterans has risen from 2% to 6% of the homeless Veteran population and
that over the past four years the actual number has doubled.
Currently the VA sites that the number of homeless Veterans has
been reduced to 67,495 as reported by the most recent Point in Time
count. VVA recognizes this as a useful tool but doubts that this number
is necessarily a solid number. It is a snap shot because it is
impossible to have on record all the Veterans who are homeless.
Nonetheless it is a true indicator that all the energy surrounding the
above mentioned programs has made a difference. It is undeniable that
the number of Homeless women veterans has been climbing; however,
collection data on homeless women Veterans is not reliable as indicated
in the latest Government Accounting Office's (GAO) report on this
topic.
Today many more initiatives have added strength to the work that is
being accomplished in this arena. The HUD-VASH voucher subsidized
program was revitalized and it has become another vital and realistic
approach to independent housing for those Veterans who are able to make
a true life change with the assistance of continued case management.
The ``Housing First'' model is also working for many Veterans. These
along with creative non-profit agency community partnerships and the
smaller foundation grants that augment the entire process have truly
made a significant impact on the number of homeless Veterans that are
seen today.
housing first
``Housing First'' is a model that for homeless Veterans, many of
whom are women, is perfect. It is one that has provided exceptional
opportunities for our individual Veterans, Veterans and their families,
and single Veterans with children. If we are to move forward with the
current trend of the ``Housing First'' model then we all have to take
responsible for the success of this venture and also view it with the
eyes of reality. How can we best fulfill our obligation to those
Veterans we place immediately in housing? Women Veterans with children
often prefer this model because it affords them the ability to remain
with their children, escaping from the disruption of the family
setting. Over the past 2 years VA data shows that homeless female
veterans with dependents prefer permanent housing options (HUD-VASH).
In permanent housing they can pursue their recovery in the community
with their children living with them. Children can engage in school
systems and other social supports essential for increasing their
stabilization and preventing future episodes of homelessness.
With that said, VVA, the VA, you and, I, also as a community
Veteran service provider, must work in a partnership to create the most
advantageous environment for successful outcomes. This includes the
responsibility of protecting from disintegration the ``Housing Ready''
models and those programs created for individual attention to the need
of significant mental health residential transitional programs. This is
true for both men and women. For some Veterans, if they need or require
a significant mental health residential program, it is the only viable
option they have on the road to their true independence in permanent
housing placement.
Allowing the disintegration of the ``Housing Ready'' models is a
trap that must be avoided in order to truly address the needs of all
Veterans * * * to do so would be requiring all homeless Veterans to
meet our pre-determined unrealistic goals and ultimately deny them the
opportunity to reach the attainable and successful goal of permanent
housing. Secretary Shinseki has also stated that no door to the other
side of homelessness should be eliminated. There continues to be a need
for a variety of entry points to independent housing and a true
individualized assessment of capabilities should be utilized in order
to produce the most successful outcomes for our Veterans.
va homeless grant and per diem
VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Payments
The difficult side of requesting increased per diem rates with the
VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem program lies in the process that
currently exists whereby the decision to determine the rate of per diem
is based on the agency's last FY audit.
Non-profit agencies do not have the freedom or capability to incur
expenses or increase necessary staff levels based on veteran needs for
its HGPD program without the funding to do so. However, they cannot
request the increased funding to enhance services unless they show the
actual expense in their previous years audited budget. Hence they
cannot apply for an increase in per diem because they cannot justify
the increase in per diem needed. It seems to be a ``Catch 22.''
If the request for per diem could be determined by the proposed
fiscal year program budget rather than the past program expense, a non-
profit agency would be able to function at a more appropriate level in
order to fully provide and deliver services and care that is most
appropriate for the veterans. New initiatives and enhancements cannot
be added because the expense of such cannot be taken on without first
obtaining an increase in per diem to cover these expenses.
One consideration could be a process utilized by other Federal
agencies. On an annual basis the provider submits a proposed budget
with narrative for its justification. The Federal agency reviews the
budget and awards the approved dollars, providing a monthly
disbursement through direct deposit to the agency based on an agency
invoice. At the close of the fiscal year the agency provides the annual
program expense for justification of the account. The parameters for
the agency's annual budget request would be directly related to and not
exceed the amount of the VA per diem cap as set by regulation.
Resident Payments in VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem
Non-profits have long struggled with the process used to justify
the receipt of the per diem payments for Homeless Grant and Per Diem
(HGPD) programs. Although the amount of the money received per veteran
per day provided as per diem has increased over time, the requirements
to provide documentation to meet a 100% cost expense has created a
significant burden on the non-profits.
The expenses incurred by a non-profit agency often require
discretionary dollars to pay for their cost of expenses that are
necessary. Grants however, are restrictive and many of the expenses
incurred by programs are not allowable by the grant regulations.
Examples of this are those in the arena of administrative and
operational dollars, and building and maintenance expenses. These could
be expenses charged to the cost of the HGPD program if the per diem
program was the only program of the agency. However, if you are an
agency that operates the per diem program located physically offsite
from the non-profit agency home office, you cannot apply these expenses
to HGPD. VVA contends that without the up keep and solvency of the
parent agency as a whole the per diem program could not function. It is
totally reliant on the home office and collateral functions of it. The
HGPD program could not exist without the home agency and therefore some
of the expenses of the agency, unrelated specifically to the HGPD
program, should be directly allowable as expenses to the program.
Programs are not required to charge program residential fees from
its residents. The agencies do so in great part to meet the financial
burden of the agency that the program has created. These residential
funds could be utilized as discretionary funds to assist the agency in
the offset of agency expenses as highlighted above. Currently they must
be deducted from the cost of the HGPD program. This activity directly
reduces the cost of the program expense and hence the amount of per
diem that the agency is eligible to receive under the current
requirement for the requested per diem rate of reimbursement.
The burden created by the legislative requirement to deduct these
residential payments from the cost of the program expenses prior to
submitting the cost of the program to the HGPD office on the annual
audit exposes the agencies to shortfalls in program cost that result in
the agencies inability to obtain maximum per diem payments.
Consolidation of VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Projects
In the past, some successful VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem (HGPD)
residential programs (funded in a capital grant process through HGPD)
identified an increased geographic need for additional bed space. The
level of need was unknown at the time of the original grant. In order
to meet this recognized need for increased capacity these existing HGPD
programs requested a program expansion for additional beds under a
separate VA HGPD funding category known as the ``Per Diem Only'' (PDO)
grant process. When they were awarded a PDO grant they now had the
ability to increase their overall program beds. Here's where it gets
extremely difficult for the non-profits.
Since the original grant and the PDO grant were awarded at
different times they have separate ``project numbers.'' However, it is
the same program, with the same expenses, the same staff, the same food
costs, the same housekeeping costs, the same garbage costs, the same
building rental costs, the same policies and procedures, and the same
location. They are required to divide out by percentage the number of
beds under each project number in all reporting processes to include
billing and the request for increased per diem. This reporting process
involves a daily tracking of each resident as to what bed they are in
and in which unit they reside because it is necessary to change the
project number tracking if there is a need to move the resident's bed
assignment. It is an administrative nightmare.
To simplify: Although it is one program with absolutely no
differentiation in policy, procedure, or cost, all expenses must be
divided by percentages relative to ``project numbers'' and every
Veteran who changes rooms has to be tracked by project number in
applying for every month's per diem reimbursement request. Hence, this
division of all expenses is required when requesting the per diem rates
for the program or seeking an increase in the rates.
This is an inefficient and time consuming process for the
administrative tracking and reporting side. All expenses for the
program on the bookkeeping side of the agency have to be calculated by
percentage. It can also be detrimental to the program. It is proven
that this process results in two different per diem rates for the same
program. We believe that if a single program has two different project
numbers based solely on an approved expansion, the program should be
treated as a whole and the two projects numbers should be merged. To do
so would allow an agency to function in a more efficient manner, have
access to an appropriate and true per diem structure, and reduce
administrative costs.
VVA is requesting that this be considered for inclusion in a
legislative bill. If we are in fact taking an aggressive review of
issues surrounding the efficiency and effectiveness not to mention
equity of the per diem payments to the non-profits, VVA believes this
is a long outstanding issue that needs to be resolved. It is not only a
tremendous burden to the non-profit awardees but a timely cost to the
efficiency of the HGPD program It is an issue for all existing programs
that received a second grant for expansion of its existing original
program.
VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Service Center
In the mid 1990's, an increasing number of grants to receive per
diem from the VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program for ``Drop In''
Centers--Day Service Centers were awarded. This was a time when other
Federal funds were more easily obtainable in order to augment VA per
diem payments. HUD was one agency, in particular, that awarded
``Supportive Services Only'' grants. In many cases, if not most, these
HUD grants have been eliminated from local municipalities' Continuum of
Care Consolidated Plan. This was due to HUD's pressure on these cities
and municipalities to increase an emphasis on permanent housing in
order for the city to remain competitive in their national HUD grant
applications for McKinney-Vento homeless grant awards. However, these
added HUD dollars were a valued source of funding for the service
centers as they provided augmented program components and additional
staffing.
With the loss of this funding non-profits were challenged to
adequately provide the appropriate services in the VA HGPD full service
centers. Per Diem alone could not fully fund the need same level of
assistance. It is especially difficult in light of the increased number
of Veterans who now make use of these service centers.
Per Diem dollars received by services centers are not capable of
supporting the ``special needs'' of the Veterans seeking assistance.
Currently day service centers are receiving a maximum of $4.86 per
hour, per veteran, for the time the Veteran is actually on site at the
service center. It could be as little as one hour. However, the work of
assisting the homeless Veteran who utilizes these services goes on long
after they have left the service center, a center that is providing a
full array of services and case management. In some cases service
centers are the first entry point to the VA for our homeless veterans.
Keep in mind they are in many respects the gate keepers of the
``Housing First'' and ``Housing Ready'' programs.
These service centers are unique and indispensable in the VA
process. In many cases they are the front line and first exposure to
the VA system. They are the door from the streets and shelters to VA
substance abuse outpatient and residential treatment programs, job
placement, job training, VA benefits, VA medical and mental health care
and treatment, and VA homeless domiciliary placement. Veteran specific
service centers are vital because most city and municipality social
service agencies and staff do not have the knowledge or capacity to
provide appropriate supportive services that directly involve the
treatment, care and entitlements of Veterans.
VVA urges Congress to provide the VA with the legislative authority
to provide ``staffing and operational funding instead of per diem for
service centers through it HGPD program. A VA HGPD ``staffing and
operational'' funding process would allow the service centers to
provide these vital services with appropriate level of qualified
personnel. It would be modeled after and similar to the Special Needs
Grant process that already exists as a precedent. Per Diem alone does
not allow for the level of qualified and professional staffing that
comprehensive service centers require. These staffing grants, to
include operational funding, would eliminate the current Per Diem
reimbursement. Some are currently assisting upwards of 100 veterans a
day, providing nearly 80,000 hours to over 1000 individual veterans
seeking services annually. Without consideration of staffing grants the
result may well be the demise of these critical services centers.
The VA acknowledges this problem exists. VVA believes further
discussion is necessary in order to fully address this situation and
remedy the problem facing these Service Centers.
Expanded Use of VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem Service Center
As mentioned above, Service Centers are the retreat and salvation
of Veterans who are still un-housed. This is there place of safety,
where they find relief and are not afraid. The ``Housing First'' model
and other independent housing placement initiatives have left many
Veterans at loose ends * * * disconnected from the relationships they
had with the staff that assisted in their new apartment placements.
Some of these Veterans need continued self-assurance and resource
development if they are to recognize their ability to ``make it'' on
their own. Service Center staff do not have this defined
responsibility, nor are the Veterans eligible for service center
assistance if they have been housed. Additionally, there is not funding
reimbursement for the assistance provided. As addressed above, Service
Center agencies find it impossible to hire enough case managers for
their designed program let alone to have the funding to hire case
managers for this purpose.
Many newly housed Veterans haven't been in this situation of
``responsibility for a very long time. They are vulnerable and have a
complex array of needs that require attention. It is great to place
them in housing as soon as possible but then what? For those used to
communal living and/or the service center environment they find
themselves lonely * * * at risk for recidivism or relapse. They feel as
if their safety net has been pulled out from under them because they
entered housing. This is not an incentive for some. VVA believes
without this continued trusted relationship the Veterans will fall
short of success in their ``new'' independence. To cut them off in one
fell swoop from the place and people on whom they have come to rely as
a life line can be a frightening and disastrous experience.
VA HGPD could begin thinking about extending the service center's
scope regarding who is eligible for services. VVA would like to have
consideration given to legislation that would expand the service
ability permitted under the VA HGPD Service Center authority. It will
allow the VA and the VA HGPD program to bridge the terrain between the
streets and home.
A small investment may prove to be most effective. Extending access
to the HGPD Service Centers to Veterans for up to one hundred eighty
(180) days after they are placed in housing would be an investment in a
solid transition process. It would provide an increased positive
outcome, not only for the statistics and data charts but for the
Veterans who need to ``find their way'' to independence. It seems like
a logical extension to the existing continuum of care and housing first
model. HGPD service centers would aid in keeping veterans housed if the
programs were to become more flexible in regard to eligibility.
VVA feels it would be realistic to have future conversations about
the morph of HGPD Service Centers into more of a Veterans' community
center for Veterans in transition whether currently homeless, at-risk
for homelessness, or recently re-housed, needing stabilization services
and supports. As a group they would provide tremendous support for each
other.
Special Needs Grants
This grant provides assistance with additional operational costs
that would not otherwise be incurred but for the fact that the
recipient is providing supportive housing beds and services for the
Special Needs of the following homeless veteran populations: women,
including women who have care of minor dependents; frail elderly;
terminally Ill; or chronically mentally ill. The focus of this GRANT is
to encourage applicants to continue to deliver services to the homeless
Special Need veteran population, one that requires a greater investment
than what the normal HGPD reimbursement can provide.
Last year the renewal of the authority to continue the Special
Needs Grant Program (SNP) was an important action that extended the
ability of community providers to assist Veterans. These Veterans, who
because of increased need, created a sometimes insurmountable challenge
to the non-profit Veteran providers who found it quite difficult, if
not impossible; to provide the level of care they required to meet
their needs. The discouraging piece to this creative program is that VA
HGPD, after receiving the extension of authority for SNP, did not offer
any opportunities for new grants to increase the number of these
programs eligible for this funding.
The benefits obtained through this program can easily be identified
for all the special needs cohorts. In regard to women Veterans
specifically, the SNP assists with funding to increase the professional
staffing that is vital for their transition into the community. The
case management ratio for programs of this nature is lower than
normally expected. It also provided funding to assist the women with
children and expenses that were incurred by them or their families
while the women Veterans were in a recovery mental health program.
Originally, the grant allowed the VA to partner with the non-profit
through the SNP and combine dedicated staffing and program components
to the SNP provider that greatly enhanced the overall advancement and
success of the women Veterans in their transitional program. It has
been identified that women Veterans have a high incidence of sexual
assault, childhood sexual assault and trauma, domestic violence, and
military sexual trauma (MST). With these issues alone comes the burden
of addressing the mental health/psychiatric diagnoses that interferes
with even their ability to function. Many live in the dark places of
shame and guilt that can at times be paralyzing. Self harm is also a
reality for many of them. As an example, The Mary E. Walker House is a
thirty bed women Veterans only transitional residence established in
2005, under HGPD funding. To date 205 women have been admitted to the
program. Mental Health statistics include: MST 44%; Sexual trauma 54%;
Childhood Abuse 55%; Domestic Violence 53%; non combat PTSD 46%;
Bipolar 31%; Depressive Disorder 57%; Self harm 19%; Personality
Disorder 11%; Adjustment Disorder 6%; Schizophrenia 8%. The importance
of the SNP cannot be minimized. VVA encourages VA HGPD to reconsider
and again offer a new grant round for an increase in the availability
of these program funds.
Military Sexual Trauma Residential Treatment Programs
While the VA has invested resources and expanded opportunities for
the identification and treatment of PTSD as a result of MST, there are
limited residential treatment programs that are both exclusively MST in
nature and gender specific. The difficulty that faces women Veterans
who are homeless lies in the fact that these women have little if any
financial resources to travel to the locations that would best address
their MST treatment needs. If an agency had access to additional
funding through the SNP grants, this opportunity could become a reality
to many more of these Veterans.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
VVA recognizes the great advantage this new grant provides for
supportive services which is also a unique approach by the VA for
community providers. It picks up a gap in services for Veterans that
would have been recognized upon the up-coming conclusion of the
Homeless Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing program established by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. VVA is also encouraged that it
has been seen as a very pro-active approach as demonstrated by the
increase in funding that it is receiving. It plays an additional role
in the VA's aggressive attention to the elimination of homelessness
among Veterans. Only about six months into its first year of existence,
it has already brought much advantage to Veterans in communities across
the country.
It is important to note that female Veterans with MST have
significant trust issues and it is critically important that we develop
more collaborative and enduring (aftercare) case management models to
promote both greater engagement with the community and VA. More timely
access to mental health services are needed to address issues of
depression, PTSD and substance use.
We need models where VA and community can co-case manage; reducing
handoffs and the likelihood of disengagement for this vulnerable
population. VA's new SSVF is a model that promotes coordination between
VA and the community promoting rapid re-housing into permanent housing.
With the anticipated military draw down over the next five years we
need more services focused on prevention with community coordination
that is focused on consistent case management services and housing
stabilization.
Department of Labor: Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program
This Department of Labor (DOL) program directly trains homeless
Veterans in an effort to provide skills and abilities leading to
employment in order to maintain an independent life-style. It has been
valuable for thousands of Veterans across the country.
VVA has recognized that while this program is of significant
contribution, many Veterans who are being quickly placed in housing
without adequate skills and/or income are left out of the eligibility
criteria for the HVRP training programs because they are not considered
homeless. VVA feels that these Veterans should not be excluded from
this program because of an emphasis on the ``housing first'' model. VVA
feels they are being penalized for doing the right thing. They too
should be given the chance to improve their life in the move from
homelessness into one of independence. That they should be eligible for
HVRP training programs for up to one year of housing placement. VVA
also believes that homeless prevention is currently an activity with
great emphasis. VVA feels that if documentation can be given to prove a
Veteran is in imminent danger of becoming homeless they should also be
considered for eligibility in HVRP training programs.
VVA also takes note of the Trauma-Informed Care Guide produced by
the DOL Women's Bureau. It was developed to assist women Veterans with
employment and transition to civilian * * * but also to assist service
providers with a guide to better understanding the challenges and
unique needs of women Veterans. VVA applauds DOL Women's Bureau for
this effort. This guide may well reach providers and employers outside
the normal outreach of VA and HUD, thereby expanding the total
community effort.
gao report 2011
In December 2011, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) put
forward five recommendations in its Report: Homeless Women Veterans:
Actions Needed to Ensure Safe and Appropriate Housing. This report
gives us much to think about. Are women Veterans and their needs truly
being met by the programs that exist for them today? The questions are,
``What will be done to reach them, to know them, to meet their needs
and provide them a safe environment in which to address them?''
This report begins, ``As more women serve in the military, the
number of women Veterans has grown substantially, doubling from 4
percent of all Veterans in 1990 to 8 percent, or an estimated 1.8
million, today. The number of women Veterans will continue to increase
as servicemembers return from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some of these women Veterans, like their male counterparts, face
challenges readjusting to civilian life and are at risk of becoming
homeless. Such challenges may be particularly pronounced for those
women Veterans who have disabling psychological conditions resulting
from military sexual trauma and for those who are single mothers.'' And
``While these programs (VA HGPD and HUD-VASH) have expanded in recent
years to serve more Veterans, it remains unclear whether they are
meeting the housing needs of all homeless women Veterans.''
Existing VA data indicates that the number of homeless women
Veterans it has been able to identify has more than doubled over the
last four years from 1,380 in fiscal year 2006 to 3,328 in fiscal year
2010. As the number of women in the military continues to grow and
hence the number of women Veterans it stands to reason so too will the
number of homeless Women Veterans. Will the VA be ready for the
increasing number of homeless women Veterans? Does the VA have the
current capacity and level of professional medical and mental health
staff to meet the challenges of these women?
GAO Finding 1: ``Data on the characteristics of homeless women
veterans are limited to those who have been in contact with VA.
Neither VA nor HUD captures data on the overall population of
homeless women veterans.''
HUD collects data on homeless women and homeless Veterans, but it
does not collect any detailed statistics on homeless women Veterans.
Neither VA nor HUD collects data that can be used as a reliable source
for a true picture of the extent of homeless women Veterans in this
country. With the reporting required by non-profit agencies and local
cities and municipalities who receive Federal funding streams for
programmatic oversight, it would seem that data could be more
forthcoming. But the question has to be asked, ``Why hasn't this been
more coordinated?'' The GAO reports states that, ``According to
knowledgeable VA and HUD officials we spoke with, collecting data
specific to homeless women Veterans would incur minimal burden and
cost.'' States, local cities and municipalities that receive HUD or VA
funding within any of their departments or agencies should be required
to include the collection and reporting of data for this cohort as well
as those now identified. This reporting should also be extended to
those receiving Department of Labor training dollars through its
Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP).
GAO Finding 2: ``Homeless women Veterans face barriers to
accessing and using Veteran housing, such as lack of awareness
about these programs, lack of referrals for temporary housing
while awaiting placement in GPD and HUD-VASH housing, limited
housing for women with children, and concerns about personal
safety.''
There are many barriers to the access of housing for women
Veterans. A few include:
They are not aware of the opportunities available
They don't know how or where to obtain housing services.
They are not easily found/identified in the community.
They often ``couch surf.''
They have children and avoid shelters because of the
safety factor;
They avoid social service agencies for fear of losing
their children to the system.
24 percent of VA Medical Center homeless coordinators
indicated they have no referral plans or processes in place for
temporarily housing homeless women veterans while they await placement
in HUD-VASH and GPD programs.
Nearly 2/3 of VA HGPD programs are not capable of housing
women with children.
The program expense of housing women with children is a
disincentive for providers.
Women Veterans do not feel safe in programs that are not
gender specific.
The responsibility of outreach will fall on the shoulders of many.
It does not rest with the VA alone. In some cases the VA homeless
Outreach Teams are understaffed, especially in large metropolitan
areas. Efforts are fragmented. A coordinated plan needs to be developed
at the local level by the leadership of the respective VA medical
center within its homeless Veteran program. It must include input and
involvement of the Women Veteran Program Manager, its women's health
clinic, the VBA Woman Veteran Coordinator, the state Department of
Veterans Affairs, and all local/community agencies and Veteran
providers.
It is difficult to place women Veterans in temporary/transitional
housing if one doesn't know where they exist nor have a plan to do so.
Even within the VA HGPD program, a local provider has a difficult time
identifying other HGPD programs for over flow placement or for a
geographic re-location. The VA HGPD program could organize a database
of all existing programs that accept women Veterans, the eligibility,
and if children are accepted. It could be up-dated by the local VA
homeless program coordinator of VA HGPD liaisons.
There is no denying the fact that placing homeless women Veterans
with children is a huge challenge. It is more costly, requires more
staff, and involves increased liability. The boon to this situation for
women Veterans has been the ``Housing First'' model for those who are
ready for this placement. The recent addition of the VA Supportive
Services for Veteran Families grant program is making a significant
impact in this model for women with children. This grant program is in
its first year and providers are already recognizing great success. The
need for program enhancements have been identified but that is natural
with a new program. It is vital that the funding for this program
continues if we are in fact to move forward with the elimination of
homelessness. But it must also be recognized that with housing first,
we must accept the fact that case management will be most imperative
and it is our responsibility to make it happen. If we truly believe in
this model we must commit to it. Otherwise the Veterans have been set
up to fail once more.
Another important address of housing for homeless women with
children is the Special Needs Grant program. Certainly it doesn't
resolve all the problems. Nothing does. It does, however, provide
additional funds for assistance with children. Many of the women who
are in need of a programmatic transitional program do not have children
with them. In some cases, family has taken the children so the mother
can focus on her recovery and mental health stability, in other cases;
the women have lost custody of the children to someone else or through
the courts. In other instances, they either don't have children or the
children are not minors. It also assists with staffing that can foster
parenting classes, anger management, relationship building, and family
reunification. An expansion investment by the VA HGPD program with
increased awards of the Special Needs Grants to other non-profit
agencies would improve transitional housing services in preparing women
Veterans for independent housing.
VVA is encouraged that VA has begun to evaluate safety and security
arrangements at GPD programs that serve women. VVA awaits the
production of a policy on gender-specific safety and security standards
for its GPD housing. VVA finds this as important in many ways as that
of the VA environmental/fire and safety inspections of which VA HGPD
programs must comply. VVA finds unacceptable the potential of putting
women veterans, any Veterans, at risk for sexual harassment or assault
in any location where they expect to be safe in receiving care and
treatment. This extends to VA facilities, clinics, programs, and
residential treatment units. It is important to have oversight and
accountability in all realms.
conclusion
In conclusion, the number of homeless women Veterans is rising
dramatically. It is imperative to understand their needs, in order to
best address them. The VA may well be challenged by not only the number
of women Veterans entering its system, that of both VHA and VBA, but by
those who are homeless and who may be significantly challenged.
Vietnam Veterans of America would like to thank this Committee for
its time and attention to the significant issue of addressing
homelessness among Veterans. It has permitted a formal communication on
their behalf and I will be glad to answer any question you may have.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
Ms. Halliday.
STATEMENT OF LINDA HALLIDAY, DEPUTY ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL
FOR AUDITS AND EVALUATIONS, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; ACCOMPANIED BY GARY ABE,
DIRECTOR, SEATTLE AUDIT DIVISION
Ms. Halliday. Chairman Murray and Members of the Committee,
thank you for the opportunity to discuss the OIG's work related
the VA's homeless veterans programs, specifically the results
of our recent report, the Audit of Homeless Providers--the
Grant and Per Diem Program.
I am accompanied by Mr. Gary Abe, the Director of our
Seattle Audit Division, who directed the national audit.
The Grant and Per Diem program is the largest of several VA
homeless programs providing services to homeless veterans.
Responsibility for the management and operation of funded
projects rests with the community providers while VA medical
facilities provide the oversight over the delivery of the
support services.
We reviewed community agencies receiving Grant and Per Diem
funds in fiscal year 2011 to determine if the services to
homeless veterans are provided as described in their grant
applications and to assess whether program funding was
effectively aligned with VHA's program priorities.
We identified opportunities and made recommendations to
strengthen program oversight, the grant application evaluation
process, and program controls. We determined VHA needed
standards for program safety, security, health, and welfare; a
more comprehensive grant application evaluation process; a
mechanism to better assess and measure bed capacity against the
funding priorities and the need for the services; procedures to
accurately report program outcomes and monitor the reliability
of program information.
VHA also needed training for VHA medical facility staff on
determining the homeless veterans program eligibility and
improved oversight of the providers participating in the
program.
We found VHA lacked guidance on the level of supervision
and security measures expected for various homeless veteran
populations such as female veterans living in transitional
housing.
Almost one-third of the 26 providers reviewed, that we
reviewed, did not adequately address safety, security, and
privacy risks of these veterans.
We identified security risks such as bedrooms and bathrooms
without sufficient locks, halls and stairs without sufficient
lighting, and female and male residents on the same floor
without access restrictions.
We also found that 27 percent of the program providers did
not ensure the safe storage of homeless veterans prescribed
medications to include controlled narcotics such as oxycodone
and Vicodin. Providers were not required to address the
management of medications as part of their grant application
process.
A review of dietary support services showed 12 percent of
the program providers did not consistently offer adequate meals
that were nutritionally balanced and appropriate for homeless
veterans. Again, we saw the grant applicants were not required
to describe how they would provide meals or how they would meet
the special dietary needs of homeless veterans such as managing
diabetes in their grant applications.
VHA needs to strengthen its oversight of the Grant and Per
Diem program, and specifically it needs to ensure program
funding is aligned with program goals.
Our audit found that 26 percent of the veterans discharge
information was inaccurate. In more than half of the cases, VHA
case managers inaccurately reported that veterans successfully
completed the program.
We have a significant concern that the quality of the
program information has not improved over the last 5 years.
Clearly more management attention is needed to address the
quality of program information relied upon to make decisions.
Another important step in helping veterans transition to
independent living is VBA's effort to assist homeless veterans
filing claims for medical disabilities and other benefits. We
have issued nine inspection reports that found four of nine VA
regional offices did not consistently provide outreach services
to homeless veterans. We will continue to review this important
responsibility during our future inspections.
VA is taking actions to ensure the safety, security,
health, and welfare of veterans participating in the GPD
program. We expect their recent efforts will help to ensure the
program delivers effective services to homeless veterans and
that the funding is used as intended.
Madam Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to discuss
our work. We would be pleased to answer any questions you or
the Committee has.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Halliday follows:]
Prepared Statement of Linda A. Halliday, Deputy Assistant Inspector
General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Madam Chairman and Members of the Committee, Thank you for the
opportunity to discuss the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) work
related to VA's homeless veterans programs, specifically the results of
our report, Audit of the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.
I am accompanied by Mr. Gary Abe, Director of our Seattle Audit
Operations Division, who directed the audit.
background
In November 2009, VA Secretary Shinseki announced a goal to end
homelessness among veterans by 2015. In 2011, VA and the Department of
Housing and Urban Development jointly released a supplement to Housing
and Urban Development's Annual Homeless Assessment Report, which
estimated 67,500 veterans were homeless on a single night in
January 2011. VA requested $224.2 million to address this problem and
establish the capacity to serve approximately 20,000 veterans in 2012.
According to VA, the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, administered
by the Veterans Health Administration, provided services and
transitional housing for over 100,000 veterans since 1994. It is the
largest of several VA homeless programs currently providing annual
funding and services to homeless veterans. The GPD program offers
support services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, and Guam, through 515 operational projects providing
approximately 12,000 transitional housing beds. Community agency
providers receive VA funding in addition to revenues from other
Federal, state, or local sources. These programs operate based on
unique designs as stated in their grant application. Responsibility for
the management and operation of projects rests with community providers
while local VA medical facilities provide oversight of the support
services provided.
GPD program liaisons are VA employees appointed by local VA medical
facility directors and are typically social workers. As part of their
oversight responsibilities, GPD program liaisons have regular contact
with veterans and community agency providers. Additionally, GPD program
liaisons coordinate annual inspections of the providers' facilities and
submit annual performance reviews to the GPD's national program office.
GPD program liaisons screen homeless veterans, verify their eligibility
for the GPD program, and determine which homeless programs are most
suitable to meet the needs of individual veterans. GPD program liaisons
also work with the staff of the community providers in developing
treatment goals and plans for each veteran and assessing the veteran's
progress in reaching those goals.
audit of the homeless providers grant and per diem program results
In our report, we reviewed community agencies receiving funds from
the GPD program to determine if they were providing services to
homeless veterans as outlined in their grant applications. We also
reviewed GPD program funding to determine if it was effectively aligned
with program priorities. Grants were selected to reflect a variety of
locations and sizes. We statistically selected 26 GPD program grant
providers under 8 VA medical facilities (Chicago, Illinois; Los
Angeles, California; Long Beach, California; Portland, Oregon; New
Orleans, Louisiana; Lyons, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; and Sheridan,
Wyoming).
We found a lack of program safety, security, health and welfare
standards; an incomplete grant application evaluation process; and an
inconsistent monitoring program that impacted the program's
effectiveness. Also, VHA lacked a mechanism to assess and measure bed
capacity, procedures to monitor the reliability of reported
information, and sufficient training on program eligibility.
Program Operations
Safety and Security Issues
VHA policy requires supervision and security arrangements for the
protection of homeless veterans using GPD program housing. However, VHA
does not provide guidance on the level of supervision and security
measures expected for various homeless veteran populations, such as
female veterans living in GPD program transitional housing.
Thirty-one percent of the 26 providers reviewed did not adequately
address the safety, security, and privacy risks of veterans, especially
female veterans. GPD program medical facility staff allowed providers
to house female veterans in male-only approved facilities and multi-
gender facilities for which security and privacy risks had not been
assessed and mitigated. For example, we identified the following risks:
Bedrooms and bathrooms without sufficient locks.
Halls and stairs without sufficient lighting.
Female and male residents on the same floor without access
restrictions.
In addition, some providers housed female veterans in female-only
facilities that had inadequate security measures, such as inadequate
monitoring and not restricting access to non-residents.
We discovered serious female veteran safety, security, and privacy
issues at one site that required immediate VHA management attention.
Two homeless female veterans were housed in a male-only approved
provider facility. The two female residents shared a bathroom with male
residents without an adequate lock and had sleeping rooms on the same
floor as male residents without adequate barriers restricting access to
the female rooms. We found that since fiscal year (FY) 2002, VA's GPD
program staff had placed 22 homeless females in this male-only approved
facility without adequately addressing the safety, security, and
privacy needs of the female veterans. The GPD program medical facility
staff said they were unaware that the facility was approved as a male-
only facility. After we discussed this situation with the VA Medical
Center Director, VA staff took immediate action and moved the two
current female veterans residing in the provider facility to
alternative housing (Veterans Health Administration--Safety, Security,
and Privacy for Female Veterans at a Chicago, Illinois, Homeless Grant
Provider Facility, September 6, 2011).
Management and Oversight of Medications Issues
During our field visits, we found that 23 percent of GPD program
providers did not ensure safe storage of homeless veterans' prescribed
medications, to include controlled narcotics such as oxycodone and
Vicodin. VHA does not provide a standard for ensuring the storage of
medications prescribed for homeless veterans, nor does VHA require
grant applicants to address the management of medications as part of
the application process. Without standards for ensuring providers
adequately manage and store medications, unnecessary risks, such as the
misuse or the overdose of medications, may occur to a veteran's health
and rehabilitation if needed medications are lost or stolen.
Dietary Needs Issues
VHA requires medical facility nutritionists to ensure that meals
served by community agencies funded under the program are nutritionally
balanced and appropriate for homeless veterans. VHA requires annual
inspections and provides an inspection checklist. However, our results
show that VHA lacked assurance that those veterans requiring special
meals to meet medical concerns, such as hypertension, high cholesterol,
or diabetes, were addressed consistently.
VA medical facility nutritionists did not ensure 12 percent of GPD
program providers offered adequate meals that were nutritionally
balanced and appropriate for homeless veterans. For example, one GPD
program provider was not providing meals according to their published
menu plan and special dietary meals were not provided to four veteran
residents who had special dietary restrictions due to hypertension or
diabetes. Veteran residents told us the provider had never served the
meals described in the plan or provided special dietary meals. The
nutrition clinician did not interview resident veterans or the medical
facility's GPD program staff or conduct subsequent inspections and
visits to ensure that the provider was following the approved menu
plans or providing special dietary meals. Therefore, VHA did not detect
that the provider was inconsistently providing the meals required by
the grant.
We also confirmed veterans' allegations that the provider did not
serve three daily meals during the weekend, as required by the GPD
program. After discussing this issue with VHA program officials and the
VA medical facility director, the provider implemented significant
remedies, such as conducting weekly inspections of food service
operations, providing three meals daily, and soliciting feedback from
veteran residents to address our concerns.
Grant Evaluation Process and Monitoring Program
VHA needs to strengthen the grant evaluation and the oversight
process of the GPD program. Lapses in oversight and grants management
are related to an application evaluation process that does not identify
or analyze risks in the applications.
VA does not require grant applicants to document their policies and
procedures or VA medical facility staff to review veterans' safety,
security, and privacy issues prior to Government funds being awarded,
such as access restrictions at multi-gender facilities. Additionally,
VA medical facility staff do not consistently review these issues
during their annual inspections because it is not addressed on the GPD
program inspection checklist.
The GPD program's application process did not ensure grant
applicants clearly identified the group of homeless veterans for whom
the provider planned to provide support services or address safety,
security, and privacy issues, especially for homeless female veterans.
Without requiring grant applicants to clearly address these issues in
their applications in relation to standards that help ensure the
quality of services to be provided, VHA cannot assess the potential
risks to homeless veterans residing at the provider facilities. In
addition, GPD program staff cannot fully or effectively measure the
providers' performance.
GPD program staff visited provider facilities regularly, however,
the staff often overlooked conditions and failed to identify potential
risks to resident veterans, such as adequate lighting and gaps in
building security. At one site, for example, our auditors observed that
electrical outlets were overloaded increasing the risks of electrical
fire.
Another example of poor grant evaluation is apparent in the dietary
needs issue discussed earlier. GPD program application procedures do
not require a description of how they will provide meals or meet
special dietary needs. According to VHA, the purpose of the annual
inspections at provider facilities is to ensure providers carry out
activities as detailed in their original application or approved
changes to scope. However, when applicants are not required to describe
how they will provide meals or meet special dietary needs, VHA has no
criteria to evaluate performance or to make informed decisions
regarding whether the needs of homeless veterans will be met
effectively. Without a comprehensive inspection checklist, VHA lacks an
effective monitoring tool to ensure adequate meals are provided and
appropriate for veterans needing and relying on their support services.
Program Evaluation
VHA needs to improve GPD program evaluation procedures to ensure
program funding is effectively aligned with program goals.
Specifically, the GPD program did not do the following:
Effectively assess bed capacity against funding priorities
and underserved geographic areas.
Accurately report program outcomes.
Correctly determine veterans' eligibility to participate
in the program.
Bed Capacity
VA's FY 2011--2013 Homeless Initiative Operating Plan identifies
GPD program deliverables, such as creating an additional 1,500
transitional beds and serving approximately 18,000 veterans in FY 2011.
VHA establishes funding priorities to ensure geographical dispersion of
support services, prevent duplicate services, and bolster capacity in
underserved regions, such as in rural areas. However, the GPD operating
plan does not provide detailed goals for increasing transitional bed
capacity for specific funding priorities. An example of a funding
priority is providing services to women veterans and women veterans
with care of dependent children, which VHA designated as their highest
funding priority for the past 3 years.
VHA did not adequately assess or manage transitional bed capacity
against their funding priorities and underserved geographic areas, such
as female veterans and homeless veterans living in rural areas. More
importantly, the GPD program did not maintain reliable data that would
enable GPD program officials to accurately assess the program's
effectiveness toward achieving sufficient bed capacity for their
priorities or other specific homeless populations, like homeless rural
veterans. Reliable data on the gender of the population being served,
the number of beds available for use by gender, and geographical
description (rural or non-rural) are necessary to compare and assess
current transitional bed capacity with projected transitional bed
capacity needs for homeless women and veterans, including homeless
veterans residing in rural areas.
VHA did not have an effective mechanism to assess the GPD program's
progress toward achieving sufficient bed capacity for funding
priorities or specific homeless populations. Information was not
available to identify bed capacity goals and the data to measure
progress toward those goals. Without this information, VHA cannot make
sound policy adjustments to funding priorities to ensure bed capacity
where support services are needed most.
Accurate Reporting of Program Outcomes
The GPD program did not accurately report discharge outcomes of
veterans from the program. Our review found that 26 percent of
veterans' discharge information was inaccurate. Reporting program
outcomes, such as the reason the veteran ended residential treatment
and the veteran's living situation at the time of discharge, were
inaccurately reported to VA's Northeast Program Evaluation Center
(NEPEC). This information was generally relied upon to determine the
success of each GPD provider and the overall success of the GPD
program. NEPEC conducts evaluations for several VHA programs including
the GPD program and tracks care provided to homeless veterans from
admission to discharge.
A 2006 report from the OIG, Evaluation of the Veterans Health
Administration Homeless Grant and Per Diem Program (September 20,
2006), revealed that in 24 percent of the records reviewed, VHA could
not support submitted discharge information and in some cases, provided
a different or contradictory outcome. We have a significant concern
that the quality of the program information has not improved in more
than 5 years; clearly, management attention is needed to correct this
issue.
In more than half of the cases, VHA case managers inaccurately
reported to NEPEC that the veteran successfully completed the program.
However, our recent work estimated 13 percent of the case files
inaccurately reported the reason a veteran ended residential treatment.
Program documents stated veterans were removed from the GPD program for
violating the provider's program rules or the veteran left without
completing the program. In some cases, the medical facility's GPD
program clinician entered the data incorrectly.
We also found 20 percent of case files inaccurately reported the
veteran's living situation at the time of discharge. Clinicians select
from seven choices, such as single room occupancy and apartment, room,
or house. The response, ``apartment, room, or house,'' accounted for 63
percent of the errors. For example, one GPD program grant had 12
instances where veterans completed their current rehabilitation program
and were discharged to a supportive housing situation at a residential
treatment program. The program documentation and NEPEC data stated the
veterans had been discharged to an ``apartment, room, or house'' rather
than the correct choice of ``residential treatment program.'' VA
medical facility GPD program clinicians did not report program outcomes
accurately because NEPEC's data collection form did not clearly define
the meaning of the questions' choices. The lack of more specific
definitions or elaboration of the terms used in the questions increased
the risk of misinterpretation by medical facility GPD program
clinicians.
Reporting of inaccurate program outcomes also occurred because of
the lack of an effective monitoring system to improve the quality and
reliability of information used for making policy decisions. VHA needs
to establish better controls to ensure the reporting of accurate
outcome data. Without quality and reliable data, policymakers cannot
effectively perform their oversight responsibilities to ensure that
program funding is effectively aligned with program goals and that
program goals are met.
Eligibility Requirements for Homeless Veterans
To be eligible for the GPD program, VHA requires veterans to be
homeless and defines a ``homeless'' veteran as a person who lacks a
fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence and instead stays at night
in a shelter, institution, or public or private place not designed for
regular sleeping accommodations. We found that participating veterans
took leaves of absence from work and temporarily left their homes to
participate in the substance abuse program. Thus, these veterans were
incorrectly identified as homeless and receiving GPD housing support
services. For one GPD program grant, we found that 23 percent of
veterans had not been homeless when admitted to the GPD program.
Ineligible veterans using these program support services were not
identified because VA medical facility staff believed these veterans
were experiencing difficulties that could lead to homelessness, such as
substance abuse or the veterans were considered to be at risk of
becoming homeless. However, the veterans were clinically managed by the
VA medical facility substance abuse program staff rather than the GPD
program staff. As a result, VHA incorrectly spent approximately $6,000
during a 6-month period to provide housing to veterans who were not
homeless and reduced the opportunity for other eligible homeless
veterans to receive supportive services that could improve their lives
and end their homelessness.
veterans benefits administration issues
The Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (P.L.
107-95) authorized at least 1 full-time employee to oversee and
coordinate homeless veterans programs at each of the 20 VA regional
offices (VAROs) that VA determined to have the largest veteran
populations. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) directed that
the public coordinators at the remaining 37 VAROs be familiar with
requirements for improving their communication with homeless veterans.
These requirements included attending regular meetings with local
homeless shelters and service providers. VBA staff provides valuable
services to homeless veterans by assisting homeless veterans with
filing of claims for medical disabilities and other benefits.
OIG Benefits Inspectors have issued nine inspection reports that
included our independent assessments of the VAROs' communication with
homeless veterans. Four (44 percent) of the nine VAROs did not
consistently communicate with homeless veterans. The overarching issue
at the three VAROs was the lack of a clear mechanism to assess the
effectiveness of their communication with homeless veterans, and the
staff responsible for these activities did not always understand their
duties and responsibilities. As a result, we made recommendations to
VBA to strengthen their communication efforts with homeless veterans
and provide training to staff assigned these communication
responsibilities. We will continue to review this important VBA
responsibility during future VARO inspections.
conclusion
Throughout our audit we held productive discussions with VHA
homeless program officials and they have demonstrated significant
interest in improving the GPD program. VA is taking actions to
strengthen controls to ensure the safety, security, health, and welfare
of veterans participating in the GPD program. In response to our
recommendations, the Under Secretary for Health agreed to strengthen
the grant application process and evaluation process by publishing
policies and standards, updating their inspection checklist, and
implementing procedures to ensure grant providers have the capability
to deliver services where these services are needed. Further, the Under
Secretary agreed to establish bed capacity goals, maintain program
data, implement procedures to improve reliability of program
information, and provide training on program eligibility. We plan to
monitor the implementation of VHA's action plan and follow up to assess
the effectiveness of future program management. We expect these efforts
will help to ensure that this program delivers effective support
services to homeless veterans and that the program funding is used as
intended.
Madam Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the OIG's
work related to VHA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and
VBA's communication with homeless veterans. We would be pleased to
answer any questions that you or other Members of the Committee may
have.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much for your work on this.
Ms. Strickland, let me start with you. You contacted the VA
and asked for help. Obviously, they just said to you nothing,
right, no response?
Ms. Strickland. No. To me their basic concern was my mental
health because I shared with them everything that was going
wrong with me, and their first question was are you mentally
stable.
Chairman Murray. So, you were not assigned a case manager
or referred for employment or training services or anything?
Ms. Strickland. No.
Chairman Murray. What do you think they should have said
when you first called?
Ms. Strickland. What do you need? Not what I wanted or what
they wanted for me, but what I needed. If they were not able to
provide the resources themselves, provide resources that I
could reach out to.
I was not even given that. They just told me that they
could give me a list of shelters. I could do that myself. But,
I mean, I just feel there should be some type of partnership.
If they are not able to assist or provide the assistance, then
there should be partners that they work with that they could
refer a veteran to. So that they are not just left when they
hang up their phone feeling hopeless because that is how I
felt.
Chairman Murray. Ms. Halliday, your testimony was really
eye opening, I think, telling someone that they are going to be
someplace sleeping without a lock on the door, bathrooms that
do not have locks, insufficient lighting.
Ms. Strickland, what would that type of environment have
meant to you?
Ms. Strickland. An unsafe environment?
Chairman Murray. Yes.
Ms. Strickland. I would have stayed in my car. It is
different when you have children. You know, I mean, of course,
I think of my safety, but I think of my children as well. There
are programs, but it is not enough for women with children.
Yes, I could have gone to other shelters but I would not
have been able to take my children with me. And then a female,
just from being a woman, you want to be able to feel that when
you go to a transitional home or shelter that you do have
adequate safety.
Chairman Murray. Basic.
Ms. Four, Reverend Rogers, what would that have meant for
the women who live in your facility?
Ms. Four. Let me just say that we do have, that is the
agency, a 30-bad transitional program exclusively for women
veterans. I believe that in some cases the women do come there
because it is a place that they know is safe, that they know is
secured. We take, you know, great attention to that.
I think one of these situations that exist is there are so
few of these programs in the community that are exclusive to
women veterans that are designed for them to address their
tremendous needs, that and that is one of the shortfalls also.
Chairman Murray. Reverend Rogers, what is the importance
for safety and security and basic things like that for your
clients?
Mr. Rogers. It is absolutely paramount. We really felt like
it took almost 2 years for us to earn that trust in making sure
that we could commit the amount of resources that were needed.
That is why I asked you all to consider some kind of a
challenge grant. The community wants to respond, but because
the numbers of women and their children are low and even though
we have them housed separately and they are able to have their
own rooms and facilities, it is at a much greater cost.
With a little bit of extra help from this Committee and
from Congress, we can provide not only that safety and security
but then also really address the professional needs around
sexual trauma, having well-trained staff, being able to really
train our volunteers.
I have got women who want to mentor other women, but do not
always understand the level and complexities of that trauma. We
would like to be able to have the funding and the support, and
we believe we can get it matched by the community with some
leadership here because we do not again believe in the
entitlement system but we do want you to help us create the
incentives but with the funding to overcome these smaller
numbers but dealing with more complex issues.
Chairman Murray. And, you know, both the VA's Inspector
General and the GAO really made it clear that VA has to improve
their services for homeless women veterans.
But reports that were issued by two organizations and
oversight by my staff have found really disincentives for
homeless women veterans to seek VA's housing programs,
including no minimum standards for gender-specific safety and
limitations on available housing options for homeless women
veterans especially those with children.
So, my question to all of you is: What would you direct the
VA to do today to serve homeless women veterans?
Ms. Strickland, if you had the opportunity to say to the VA
do this, what would it be?
Ms. Strickland. Provide adequate programs that can deal
with the unique needs of female veterans.
Chairman Murray. The basics, safety, security, locks,
privacy?
Ms. Strickland. Yes. And then resources to help us to get
back on our feet to become self-sufficient so that we do not
become----
Chairman Murray. Chronically homeless.
Ms. Strickland. Exactly.
Chairman Murray. Ms. Four.
Ms. Four. I think it would certainly be how issue of
security really impact our ability to focus on the programs
they have to work in.
I think it is very important that the VA truly does some
oversight of what they have in order to remold and work with
some of the opportunities they have in front of them.
I think that the addition of some extra funding through
special-needs grants for those programs that want to do the
work with women. It can be quite costly because the staff that
is needed and the support that that grant allowed for
assistance to families while they took care of the children
while the women were attending to some very specific and very,
you know, important work in the mental health field, I think
that is another place.
Also, to really make an evaluation of how many military
sexual trauma-specific residential treatment programs there are
in this country. Then to determine if they are a far distance,
how do you expect the homeless women to get into those
programs, to travel there?
Chairman Murray. Reverend Rogers.
Mr. Rogers. First, I want to say to, Ms. Strickland, thank
you for your courage, and I am sorry for your experience.
We simply ask the VA to be right there with us. And what we
say is to do what Charles George VA Medical Center in Ashville
does: they train their staff. Their staff are with us as much
as 3 and 4 days a week, in our facility working with both our
women and our men.
They are also saying that we are going to be the advocate,
the ombudsman, right alongside us as faith-based and other
community-based providers. I think it is when they exhibit and
put in place professional men and women with that same passion
that it really makes the difference because nobody can
underestimate the power of saying ``welcome home veteran.''
Chairman Murray. Ms. Halliday, final comment.
Ms. Halliday. We would like to see the VA transition away
from the reliance of providing these services in multi-gender
facilities. We would like to see incentives put in place for
special needs to ensure that female veterans needs are met.
I think VA would possibly explore using contracts outside
of the Grant and Per Diem Program to fit the unique needs of
female veterans, especially when they do not represent a large
number. They could be smaller and be economically better
solutions.
Chairman Murray. Senator Brown.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Thank you.
Ms. Strickland, first of all, I read your testimony and
thank you for sharing your personal experiences. I want to
commend you for your grit and determination and perseverance
notwithstanding all the challenges that you had and continue to
have. I read with interest your new situation where you are now
at Final Salute, Incorporated. I think you are still there?
Ms. Strickland. Yes.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Yes. How do you find that
program in terms of getting you to that path of independence
and obtaining your auto body shop and other endeavors, how are
you moving along, how are you dealing with your financial
assistance, how are things working out with the kids? I mean,
where are you in terms of, you know, balance in your life? How
is that coming along?
Ms. Strickland. Right now, I am on the path to becoming
self-sufficient. I am still working with the temp agency. So, I
do have consistent employment. I am still fervently seeking
full-time employment. But in the interim, I just continued to,
you know, press on. The program that I am in, Final Salute, is
a unique program because it is catered to the specific needs of
each person.
There are four females in the home, and we all have a
unique situation. So, we are actually told to give a plan of
what we intend to do with the 2 years we have at the program.
So, with that, they cater to what our specific needs are.
So, mine, of course, was to continue my entrepreneurship, to
maintain or to get the physical custody of my children. So,
they are providing the resources as far as, you know, obtaining
a lawyer for me.
As far as the entrepreneurship, you know, they are
providing resources and conferences that I can attend to be
more able to do that.
I do not have any mental health issues. They do or they
have set me up with a mentor, you know, that I can talk to as
far as support because like I said when you are homeless it is
one thing, but then when you are dealing with other emotional
issues it is another.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Correct. Well, looking at
your challenges here, being homeless and dealing with the
children, that is one issue. You can survive and you can do
your thing, but then you throw in the other challenges of
having children and not wanting to lose them and obviously keep
that family unit together and then having possible threats
against your life and your safety and security.
Ms. Strickland. Right.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. So, as I said, thank you
for your sharing that story. It is personal in nature,
obviously.
I was disturbed when I read that when you called the VA for
help, they basically blew you off. It is what we are hearing a
lot, whether it is dealing with claims, whether it is dealing
with these types of assistance issues, that lack of personal
touch, which sometimes is all you need.
If somebody says, hey, listen, we do not have the ability
to take care of you because of your situation, however, we have
a group like Reverend Rogers does, similar to him, in your city
or town and give you a whole list and contact and then follow
up with you maybe in a day or two or three, none of that was
really provided. You got kind of a list here. These are the
shelters. See you later. Thank you very much. Is that an
accurate statement?
Ms. Strickland. Correct.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Well, that is unacceptable.
Reverend Rogers, I know that you have a big fan on this
panel. He is here and was nice enough to allow me to chair
this, and I am honored to do so. I want to thank you for what
you all do.
What do you think separates your program from others? I
mean, why is this not going viral all over the country?
Mr. Rogers. Well, that is an excellent question. I really
think that there is maybe not as much emphasis on the
community-based and faith-based partnerships that can be put
together.
When you begin to really grasp what volunteers both from
the faith-based and community-based organizations can do--
offering them both professional training as well as a kind of
support system-- they respond manyfold.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Well, how do you deal with
costs too within that model? How do you actually pay the bills?
Mr. Rogers. Yes. Thank you for asking that.
We are paying the bills by doing both. Once they are
exposed to do the needs of our veterans, they see both the gaps
between what our Grant and Per Diem funds or our HVRP funds can
provide.
For example, with our Homeless Veterans Reintegration
Program and Veterans Workforce Investment Program dollars, we
had more veterans applying for education, and I am talking
about quality certification skills in health care and Internet
technologies and transportation.
But when a CDL license costs $4,000 right up front, we
found ourselves with some significant gaps. The community
responded and provided the extra dollars. We have a friend down
in Hendersonville, Jeff Miller, who has started Operation
Welcome Home in response to education and training. The same
with food, with clothes, we have got----
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. So, it is a community-based
effort. Everyone kind of gives a little bit and ultimately, at
the end of the day, you are squared away.
Mr. Rogers. Yes, sir.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Ms. Halliday, do you thing
the VA is taking the necessary steps to correct a lot of the
problems outlined in the OIG's audit?
Ms. Halliday. I think the VA has worked with us very
diligently to make sure they could implement the
recommendations. I think the group in VHA headquarters has
taken this seriously, has realized that they have problems and
has been very receptive to correcting problems.
As far as our assessment of how well they have implemented,
it is too early.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. All right. Thank you.
Chairman Murray. Thank you.
Senator Begich.
STATEMENT OF HON. MARK BEGICH,
U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA
Senator Begich. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Before I ask some of my questions if I could just
acknowledge that we have two Alaskans here. One is Chris Duncan
of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, who does our homeless
coordination for the State, as well as Oscar Sedona, Anchorage
Homeless Coalition. Again, we are very happy that they are here
but also it does not matter where you are, what State you are
from there is an issue and the struggle and the challenge that
we have with homeless veterans.
So, first, Sandra, thank you for your testimony. I was not
here to hear your testimony, but I read your testimony.
Incredibly impactful, and someone who personally has dealt with
homeless veterans as the landlord and reaching out to homeless
veterans programs to try to get them more standard and stable
housing situations.
I have seen it firsthand as a manager and operator of
facilities, small apartments, to ensure they will be able to
move through and get some housing.
Let me ask you if I can: you made some comments to the
Chairwoman regarding what can VA do differently. Do you think
in your experience, and this is actually going to go also to
you, Linda, the same question, and that is: do you think the VA
has the capacity within their operations and organization to
provide the services that are necessary?
In other words, Reverend, you make a very good point. When
I was mayor, we worked with a lot of faith-based groups and we
put aside this whole debate over church and State because we
had individuals and veterans that we needed to deal with and
solve these problems.
Mr. Rogers. Yes, sir.
Senator Begich. We were not interested in hearing the
philosophical debates. We were more interested in hearing about
what we could do as a community.
So, do you think from your experience that even with some
changes that are coming, do you feel confident that VA can make
it happen? In other words, if you had someone come to you who
is homeless, a veteran, and ask where can I go, Reverend, for
help, what would you do?
That may be a real heavy question, but that is to me what
is important is what is the right allocation of who should be
doing what and how, so we can improve this system because it is
not a VA system by itself. It is a collective system.
Ms. Strickland. I agree with you that it is a collective
system. If someone were to come to me and mentioned that they
were homeless, I would, just from the little knowledge that I
have of organizations, I would point them into the direction of
the community-based organizations.
Senator Begich. As your first choice?
Ms. Strickland. Correct. I think that the VA, if they could
partner with other organizations that can focus on the unique
needs, because, you know, the VA is this big organization but
there are the little teeny bits of spots out there that need to
be addressed.
Senator Begich. Connect into the system.
Ms. Strickland. Correct, a joint effort.
Senator Begich. I will give you an example. We have a
program in Anchorage--from the real estate industry we worked
with a group called Safe Harbor which actually provides the
units--it is for families; it basically was a hotel but really
designed for families and I think the largest family there, and
Dianne can remind me, I think it has nine members, to give you
a sense.
But each unit was owned by an agency or multiple units were
owned by the agency and the cost per day was maybe $15 to the
agency, fully loaded facility.
So, at any moment someone could transition there quickly,
safely, to a clean environment, community kitchen, and
community environment. Then they would bring in folks to work
with, you know, people to ensure they have jobs or education or
whatever they were looking to do.
I think it is an incredible model, and it was not a
government-run model. It was a mixture between foundations,
faith-based, and community model. That is the kind of thing you
are referring to. That is how the VA could partner maybe.
Ms. Strickland. Correct.
Senator Begich. Linda, you kind of heard the discussion.
The VA wants to do well. I know that from your comments here
but also the conversations that we have had.
Do they have the ability to do it or do they need to kind
of rethink this model a little bit more and turn to folks like
Reverend Rogers or Safe Harbor, for example, or to some of the
things we are doing in Alaska with homeless coalitions?
I mean, are they too bureaucratic that they may not be able
to adjust and be flexible enough or do you think they can do
it? Does that make sense?
Ms. Halliday. That is a good question. Right now we believe
that the VA does not have the type of information it needs to
really assess where it needs the services.
Grants are prepared. The applications are submitted. That
does not necessarily mean that all of the areas that need these
services are getting those services.
So, I would also say they probably have to look outside the
model.
Senator Begich. Do you think they have the capacity to do
that?
Ms. Halliday. Yes. I think that it is going to come down to
the coordination within the programs and getting the Office of
Rural Health to work with the homeless programs in VA, to deal
with the tribal governments. There has to be coordination.
Senator Begich. More looped together?
Ms. Halliday. Yes. So, I do think they have it. Right now,
I would say they do not have all the information they need.
They have agreed to go and get that information so that they
can better assess where the needs are and to deliver the right
services.
Senator Begich. Very good.
Thank you, Madam Chair, because to me that is the crux of
it all, at the end of the day if they cannot get there, all the
reports we do are just going to be reports.
I guess that is our job to have this oversight to make sure
they make it to that next stage. So Sandra has a choice with
someone who comes to her--because I think you are going to be a
role model of how you see the system and you see where it works
and it does not--where do we direct them? We want VA in the
mix, but we also want community services in the mix.
Thank you very much.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much. We have been joined
by my Ranking Member, Senator Burr.
Senator Burr, did you have any questions?
STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BURR, RANKING MEMBER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Senator Burr. I thank the Chair, and more importantly, I
thank you for holding this hearing. It is absolutely vital.
Scott, welcome.
Mr. Rogers. Thank you.
Senator Burr. My apologies. I was not here at the beginning
to welcome you, and I welcome all of our witnesses today.
Just a couple of observations and then one or two
questions. It struck me as I read the testimony and then heard
most of you give your verbal testimonies that what we have
really got is we have got two entities looking at different
things.
We have got private sector, faith-based organizations that
seem to look at a veteran who is homeless from a standpoint of
what they can do to affect the rest of their lives, and we have
got a VA that is focused on what the crisis-du-jour is today,
somewhat ignorant of what tomorrow has in store.
I think it gets to some degree as to what the IG's report
identified. I think there is a deep willingness on the part of
this Committee to try to bring these two things into one
alignment.
It shocks me to some degree, as much as the Chairman has
been focused on homelessness and the stated commitment of the
Secretary and the VA that we seem to be ignorant of the
successes that exist in communities all across the country.
By no means do I portray that this is intentional. But I
think every Member of this Committee, and probably every Member
of Congress, can highlight a successful program in the
communities that they live or that they represent.
Scott, I am not sure that there are any better than what we
do in Asheville. Many of the things that you have been able to
accomplish there, the vision of purchasing a bankrupt hotel or
motel to open up as a veterans' outreach program is a visionary
in itself.
The fact that we have got a VA facility that understands
the problem in the community well enough to partner in a non-
traditional way with a community organization to the degree
that I think, if I am right, the VA has now placed a nurse on
your campus----
Mr. Rogers. Yes.
Senator Burr [continuing]. Which eliminates the challenge
of transportation and things because you were able to convince
the VA why that benefits their overall delivery of care when
you actually are able to treat people before they are in
crisis.
Ms. Strickland, I cannot thank you enough for your personal
observations, a little bit of insight as to how you have lived
it. I would hope that your testimony and others inspire the VA
to look within, take the IG's report, admit that they do not do
everything right and I think I take your own testimony, you
said, VA cannot do this alone.
Ms. Strickland. They cannot.
Senator Burr. I think to some degree that is reinforced by
what the IG's report came out with. So, my questions are pretty
simple.
Ms. Halliday, do you feel the outlines, the problems
outlined in your testimony, and the recent audit are problems
specific to the Grants and Per Diem program or are they
systemic throughout the VA's homeless system?
Ms. Halliday. At this point, we would have to answer that
we looked at the Grant and Per Diem program and that is where
we identified the problems. We do think that there are some of
these issues that are impacting VA's efforts to move forward in
eliminating homelessness. You have to have a needs assessment
to know where to deliver these services and what is really
needed, and we did not see the program information in place to
make those good decisions.
Senator Burr. OK.
Scott, let me ask you as it relates to your organization
and specifically your outreach for veterans. Of those that
participate in your program, how do you measure successful
outcomes?
Mr. Rogers. Well, Senator Burr, first, I want to say thank
you for being such a champion of veterans and veterans issues
and such a wonderful champion for North Carolina.
The success that we measure really is built on the
principles of the Grant and Per Diem program which calls us not
only to move them intentionally through this continuum of care
where we have benchmarks--they are stability benchmarks--around
both personal skill building, education, job training and
placement, and then placement in permanent housing.
But we do follow them as a Grant and Per Diem program calls
for up to 18 months to 2 years after they leave. I think it is
following them for that period of time and this is where
strength of the HVRP program of the Department of Labor comes
in as well.
They go back 18 months and take our list of the men and
women we placed in the workplace. They tell us that, for
example, in the last one here in January, 87 percent of those
who were placed 18 months earlier are still on the job and
averaging in that $12 to $14 an hour range.
We measure success also according placement in permanent
housing. The national goal and an average is about 60 percent
in 2011. Our number was 76 percent were placed in permanent
housing that were identified.
So, it is not only that but then for us there are two other
measures. First is the reintegration really back into the
community through not only civic organizations but also their
family of faith.
What we find is that when these men and women are connected
through civic organizations or through their faith group, they
have the internal and external supports they need.
Then last is when we have the opportunity to see them
reintegrate into family. Sometimes that is biological family
where the bridges are not burned too badly. Other times it is
just restarting, reconnecting as Ms. Strickland has been able
to do, maintaining those connections with children, maintaining
those connections with a new family.
One of our most touching stories has come from one of our
veterans, Ron Kennedy, who after completing successfully having
the job, having the housing, answered an e-mail that simply
said, could you be my daddy.
He had had a child over in Germany, and she was reaching
out she said for the last time. For him to connect with a
daughter he had not seen since she was 1 year old and then to
have the chance to come and connect has truly been life-
changing for him, and that is what we see.
Senator Burr. Thank you for that.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
We will turn to Senator Boozman for his questions. We do
have a second panel and votes at 11:30. So, we are going to
move through quickly our second panel.
Senator Boozman. Thank you very much. We appreciate all of
you being here; really appreciate you being here, Sandra. It is
so important that people, you know, such as yourself, you are
very bright and articulate and you really put a face, you know,
instead of a number, you know, a statistic.
So, we appreciate you having the ability and the courage to
come share with us your particular problem so that we can help
you and others as we move forward.
We have a guy that we are very proud of in Arkansas, a guy
named Keith Jackson, who was an All-American Oklahoman and went
on, was an All-Pro and things. He is a tremendous motivational
speaker and is somebody I have a lot of respect for.
But his comment about the things was that the government
has the want-to but they do not have the heart, and I think
there is a lot of truth in that. We are desperately trying to
get these things done but it is just not the same as, you know,
the good care, not bad care but the heartfelt care that you get
with some of the faith-based organizations. I think Senator
Begich summed that up very well, the importance of doing that.
My question, though, as we move to that and we are moving
to that and we are having good results, and yet, we have some
problems.
And so, Linda, I guess what I would like to know is how do
we get the oversight that we need to ensure that those programs
are functioning well.
There is a lot of money involved now. When that comes
about, you know, there are always people who take advantage. I
hope that the errors that you found were basically errors but
not criminal activity. Did you find any criminal activity that
bordered on that? Did it go that far or was it more----
Ms. Halliday. No. Since our focus was really on the quality
of the services being provided and not looking at any
disparities or problems with losses in per diem or misuse, we
do not have criminal activities.
I would like Gary Abe to get an opportunity to answer a
question. We have brought him in from Seattle and his group did
all the work.
Senator Boozman. Yes. Gary, how do we do a good job of
ensuring that, you know, that we do not have problems going
forward, more problems?
Mr. Abe. I think that we had some real serious discussion
with the program management folks, and I think that they
understand that they do need to have better oversight from the
top.
We have also had a lot of discussions while we were at the
sites, at the medical centers. I think the directors there and
the program folks at the local level, they understand that they
need to have better supervision of the providers.
Some of the things that we have reported in our audit in
regards to the safety concerns, for instance, it was pretty
obvious that they were lacking, and basically, when we walked
through providers' facilities it was very obvious for us, but
for the local folks they just sort of overlooked it. Then
again, that is the oversight that is needed.
Senator Boozman. So, how do we keep them from overlooking
it?
Mr. Abe. Well, I think it is pressure from the top all the
way through to the bottom.
Senator Boozman. Good. And again that is the importance of
a hearing like this is trying to illustrate that.
Scott, you mentioned that, as you were speaking, that we
needed more innovative training in PTSD and things like that.
Can you give us some examples of what you are alluding to?
Mr. Rogers. I can. Our VA at the Charles George VA medical
center has reached out to the local community to help draw in
both trained professionals in PTSD, for example, in art therapy
and music therapy.
We have a group that has approached us with the Biltmore
Estate to offer equestrian training through their Biltmore
Equestrian Center, called Operation Pegasus.
With just a little bit of funding and support providing the
flexibility to the VA medical center to both contract with
those professionals to help us train the volunteers around best
practices that have been established nationally such as the
PATH program, we really believe we can impact not only our
homeless veterans but, of course, those just returning from
OEF/OIF, those who are coming back.
We find when they are able in these different modalities to
address their situation, to clarify their situation, to manage
it, they soar, they do just fine.
Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much.
We do have a series of votes beginning in about 12 minutes.
We want to move quickly to the second panel. I want to thank
everyone here at the first panel and if we can move as quickly
as possible and have our second panel seated. I would ask for
order in the room as we do that so we can make that happen as
quickly as possible.
Again, if we could have our second panel come forward and
be seated. I really appreciate all of you taking your time from
your busy lives and again if we could have order in the room
please because we are introducing the second panel.
I want to begin by welcoming Pete Dougherty. He is the
Acting Executive Director of VA's Homeless Veterans Initiative
Office. Pete knows his way around this room. He is a former
Committee staffer. Good to see you here.
He is accompanied by Lisa Pape, National Director of
Homeless Programs and Maura Squire, a Homeless Veterans
Outreach Coordinator. And Chanel Curry, who is a U.S. Army
veteran from Ohio. Chanel, I want to thank you for your service
to our country and your willingness to come and share your
story.
So, Mr. Dougherty, we are going to start with your
testimony and then we shall have Ms. Chanel Curry give her
remarks.
STATEMENT OF PETE DOUGHERTY, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
HOMELESS VETERANS INITIATIVES OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS'
AFFAIRS; ACCOMPANIED BY CHANEL CURRY, U.S. ARMY VETERAN; LISA
PAPE, MS,
LISW, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, HOMELESS PROGRAMS; AND MAURA A.
SQUIRE, HOMELESS VETERANS OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Mr. Dougherty. Thank you, Chairman Murray. We appreciate
the opportunity to be here with you and Senator Burr and the
Senator Begich. This Committee has been a great aid to the
effort that the Department of Veterans Affairs have made.
You have already introduced the folks that I am here with.
So, to speed this along, let me thank the Committee for what
the Committee has done because I think what you have heard from
the first panel is there are things that are working and things
that are not working as well as we want.
But I also want to commend the Committee because the
Committee gave us the opportunity to move to the most important
phase that we are now into and that is prevention.
The first 2 years of what VA has been doing under this plan
is to build capacity. As you know better than anyone, Madam
Chairman, we did not have the capacity to deal with veterans
who needed long-term housing and support services. We now have
that with pretty good effort going forward.
We have been building and increasing the capacity of
treatment services for veterans. What we have now gone into is
the ability to provide prevention services for veterans. We
think that turning the spigot off is an excellent thing to do.
A number of you have noted previously in questions that the
VA should not be doing it alone. I would just remind the
Committee that that effort is actually all being done by
community nonprofit groups and organizations. We are
partnering, as we do in Grant and Per Diem providers, with
those folks to do it.
I do want to give you a couple of highlights because there
is some focus at this hearing that as of January of this year
that more than 29,000 veterans and families have been housed
under the HUD-VASH program.
Among them, over 11 percent of those have been women
veterans, and 28 percent of those women veterans have a child
living with them or intend to have a child living with them.
We have moved into a Housing First model. We believe, and I
think you have heard some testimony that supports it, that that
is a good move if we are going to end and eliminate
homelessness among veterans.
We have been doing more and more working with veterans that
are in jails and prisons and in the court diversion program,
stopping those veterans, particularly younger veterans who are
in for the first time facing criminal offense charges to get
the treatment that they need rather than incarceration. That
will have some long-term dividends as well.
As I mentioned, the supportive services for homeless
veterans, the prevention mode is where we are going. That is
the future of how we are going to stop and end homelessness
among veterans.
Let me just give you in the first reporting cycle that we
have as of December of this past year the first reports said
that 6,291 participants, veterans and others participated in
this, 3,400 veterans or 420 of whom had served in OEF/OIF and
OMD, 545 women veterans, 15.6 percent of the veterans we are
seeing in this program are women veterans and over 2,700
children were getting this.
As you know better than anyone, and as we believe, that
holding that family together, getting them employment services,
getting them the health care they need, getting them the
benefits that they need, those pieces, keeping that family
together so they never become homeless is the most important
piece.
You had a witness previously who was talking about some of
the difficulties she was having. This is exactly what that
program would be designed to do is to help that veteran before
they became homeless to keep them out of homelessness or, if
they had just become homeless, to get them back into services.
We appreciate what they Committee has done. We appreciate
what you and others have done. We realize that we are in a
short timeframe, and I would ask that Chanel Curry, who is
here, give you an opportunity to tell what her experience has
been.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Dougherty follows:]
Prepared Statement of Pete Dougherty, Acting Executive Director,
Homeless Veterans Initiative Office, U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs
Chairman Murray, Ranking Member Burr, and Members of the Committee,
I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the Department of Veterans
Affairs' (VA) commitment to ending homelessness among Veterans. I am
accompanied today by Lisa Pape, National Director, VHA Homeless
Programs, and Maura Squire, Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinator,
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Boston Regional Office.
It has been nearly two years since VA officials last testified
before this Committee specifically on VA's program to eliminate
homelessness among Veterans. In that time, VA has made excellent
progress in our ongoing effort to ensure that, as VA Secretary Eric K.
Shinseki said in November 2009, ``Those who have served this Nation as
Veterans should never find themselves on the street, living without
care and without hope.''
In addition, VA has undergone a significant shift in the focus of
our efforts. Our homeless program is steadily moving from one of rescue
and recovery to one of prevention and sustainable independence. I will
begin today by detailing VA's many accomplishments over the past year
and will outline our program efforts to end homelessness by 2015. This
aligns with the objectives stated in Opening Doors: the Federal
Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. I will then discuss
what VA is doing to reach out to the growing numbers of women Veterans
who face homelessness or the prospect of homelessness. Before I
conclude, I will present VA's way forward in our efforts to end Veteran
homelessness. And, as you requested in your invitation to this hearing,
I will describe some of the legislative measures VA can put into
practice only with your ongoing support.
recent accomplishments
According to a supplement to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development's (HUD) report, Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report
to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR), ``On
a single night in January 2010, 76,329 Veterans were living in
emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or in an unsheltered place
(e.g., on the streets, in cars, or in abandoned buildings).'' Since
that time, HUD's 2011 Point-in-Time Estimate of Homelessness indicates
that VA has experienced a 12 percent decrease in the number of homeless
Veterans from 76,329 to 67,495.
VA views this as a significant early step in our goal to eliminate
homelessness in Veterans by 2015. In addition, our efforts in fiscal
year (FY) 2011 resulted in the following outcomes:
VA provided services to support approximately 7,500
additional Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing
Choice Vouchers, made available for use by the most needy and
vulnerable Veterans through the HUD--VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)
Program. As of January 25, 2012, there are 29,074 Veterans and family
members housed through the HUD-VASH Program. As of same date, 37,549
Housing Choice vouchers have been awarded.
VA adopted Housing First, an evidence-based practice that
prioritizes access to permanent housing, and through which VA provides
case management and treatment services that homeless Veterans need to
maintain housing and improve health care and quality of life. Adopting
the Housing First approach enables VA to improve the lease-up rates for
the housing provided by HUD through the HUD-VASH program for which VA
provides case management and treatment services. This approach also
reduces the frequency and duration of Veteran homelessness.
In late summer 2011, VA launched a new prevention and
rapid rehousing initiative, the Supportive Services for Veteran
Families (SSVF) Program, designed to serve 22,000 Veterans and their
families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. SSVF awarded 85
grants totaling $59.5 million to community agencies in 40 states and
the District of Columbia.
The Veteran Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program
(VHPD) sites, a collaborative effort between VA, HUD, and the
Department of Labor (DOL), began serving Veterans on March 31, 2011.
These sites are located at Camp Pendleton (San Diego, CA), Fort Hood
(Killeen, TX), Fort Drum (Watertown, NY), Fort Lewis (Seattle, WA) and
MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa, FL).
All five sites are operational and are providing homeless
prevention services such as case management, linkage to health care
services, and other community-related services.
Approximately 15,706 Veterans received services through
Veterans Justice Outreach (jail and court outreach and case management
services, including Veterans Treatment Courts). In particular, 11,679
Veterans were served through Health Care for Re-Entry Veterans (prison
outreach and case management) services.
The National Homeless Registry was populated with 187,000
new entries of current or former homeless, or at-risk Veterans,
bringing the total number of names of current and formerly homeless
Veterans who have utilized VA's Homeless Programs to 400,000. Although
400,000 Veterans may seem high, this number represents an unduplicated
count of all Veterans seen in VA specialized health care programs for
homeless Veterans over the last five years.
Through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS),
VA and HUD continue to work to collaborate on reporting Veteran
specific information to improve programs, services, and address
Veterans' needs.
VA hired 366 homeless or formerly homeless Veterans as
Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS) in the Homeless Veterans
Supported Employment Program (HVSEP) as of September 30, 2011.
VA increased completed Compensation and Pension claims for
homeless Veterans from FY 2010 (7,754) to FY 2011 (11,197) by 44
percent.
In FY 2012, VA released new procedures for expediting the
handling of military record requests associated with homeless Veterans
claims processing, utilizing a specific ``homeless'' e-mail box for
easy identification and processing by the National Personnel Records
Center.
In FY 2011, VA helped 83 percent of Veterans in default
retain their homes or avoid foreclosure, an increase from 76 percent in
FY 2010.
VA paid pension benefits exceeding $4.2 billion to over
500,000 Veterans and survivors in FY 2011. Because pension benefits are
paid to Veterans and survivors whose income fall below congressionally
established minimum standards, it inherently assists in income issues
related to homelessness.
overview of programs combating veteran homelessness
VA, together with Federal and local partners, is making progress
toward preventing and eliminating homelessness. For example, HUD-VASH
is the Nation's largest supportive housing initiative that targets
homeless Veterans and their families, by providing permanent housing
with case management and supportive services to promote successful
recovery and housing stability. The HUD-VASH collaboration includes HUD
providing Housing Choice Vouchers and VA providing supportive wrap-
around case management services. As of January 25, 2012, 37,549 HUD-
VASH vouchers were available to house homeless Veterans. Of these
vouchers, 34,994 were currently in use: 29,074 Veterans were currently
housed, an additional 4,672 Veterans had been issued vouchers and were
actively seeking a lease, and another 1,248 Veterans had been referred
to a Public Housing Authority and were undergoing validation. This
leaves 2,555 vouchers still available to help additional veterans. An
additional 10,000 vouchers are expected to become available for use in
the coming months.
The Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program is VA's largest transitional
housing program with over 600 projects providing approximately 14,000
operational beds nationwide. Transitional housing provides participants
the support needed to enable Veterans to move into permanent housing.
The GPD Program utilizes a community-based transitional model, which
includes time-limited, wrap-around supportive services with the goal of
transitioning Veterans to independent housing. Last year over 32,000
Veterans were provided services in these projects. In fiscal year (FY)
2011, GPD initiated 111 new projects, providing an additional 2,015
transitional housing beds. In October 2011, VA awarded $10.3 million to
26 community-based projects to continue to provide enhanced services
for special need Veteran populations (i.e., women and women with
dependent children, elderly, chronically mentally ill).
In 2011, VA launched the Supportive Services for Veteran Families
(SSVF) Program. SSVF enables VA to help Veteran families stay together
by serving the entire family. This also means children are spared the
impact of the Veteran's homelessness. Under the SSVF Program, VA awards
grants and provides technical assistance to private non-profit
organizations and consumer cooperatives that can provide supportive
services to very low-income Veteran families residing in or
transitioning to permanent housing.
The supportive services are designed to promote housing stability
to eligible very low-income Veteran families. The SSVF program gives VA
the capacity to fund non-government entities to act before a Veteran
family becomes homeless or to act quickly if the Veteran family
actually becomes homeless. By December 31, 2011, SSVF grantees had
served 6,291 participants, of whom 3,494 were Veterans; 420 Operation
Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/
OND) Veterans; 545 women Veterans; and 2,751 children.
VA plans to expand this program in FY 2012 by offering
approximately $100 million in grants to community partners to help at-
risk Veteran families maintain housing by gaining access to critical
resources, while those who have fallen into homelessness can rapidly
exit and be re-housed. For grants awarded in FY 2012, the SSVF program
expects to serve 42,000 Veterans and family members.
va's six strategic pillars to end veteran homelessness
VA's focus on ending Veteran homelessness is built upon six
strategic pillars, which are aligned with Opening Doors: the Federal
Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. First, VA is
aggressively reaching out to and educating Veterans--both those who are
homeless and those who are at risk of becoming homeless. VA does much
of this work ourselves but we collaborate with thousands of partners at
the Federal, state and local levels to aid Veterans. Second, for those
homeless Veterans with acute health care needs, VA ensures treatment
options are available, whether for primary, specialty or mental health
care, including care for substance use disorders. Third, VA is
bolstering efforts to prevent homelessness, rather than responding
reactively to the problem after it has become a Veteran's way of life.
Fourth, VA is working with community partners to increase housing
opportunities and provide appropriate supportive services tailored to
the needs of each Veteran. Fifth, VA is providing greater financial and
employment support to Veterans, and working to improve benefits
delivery for this vulnerable population. And finally, VA is continually
expanding its community partnerships, because success in this venture
is impossible without the contribution of many partners in the
community.
Outreach and Education
VA outreach and education initiatives include a national effort to
offer Veterans and others a way to contact VA at any time. The National
Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV) provides 24/7 real-time
access to VA staff for information, assistance, and local referral
support to homeless and at-risk Veterans, family and friends of
Veterans, and community organizations and concerned others. NCCHV
immediately responds to the calls, and links the callers to VA medical
center homeless program staff across the United States and its
territories, for help and assistance. NCCHV received over 32,000 calls
in FY 2011 and has already received over 14,000 calls in FY 2012.
VA conducts homeless outreach at shelters, community events, and in
courts, local jails, and State and Federal prisons. VA also
collaborates with community organizations at Stand Downs--outreach
events designed to connect homeless Veterans with community resources
and VA health care and benefits assistance. VA representatives attended
more than 200 homeless Stand Downs in calendar year 2011. These efforts
also complement one of the most critical methods for engaging homeless
Veterans in services: sending VA staff to the streets and shelters to
work with them directly. Many Veterans, but particularly those who have
battled chronic homelessness, need skillful and repeated attempts to
engage them in the care they need. Along with our community partners,
VA has 415 staff members across the country engaged in outreach every
day.
Treatment
VA recognizes that a plan to end Veteran homelessness will not be
effective without a comprehensive suite of services for those with
chronic and persistent health, mental health, and substance abuse
disorders. Many Veterans who are homeless struggle with substance
abuse; in fact, reports have indicated that approximately 55 percent of
homeless Veterans have a substance use disorder which, if untreated,
can keep them from returning to or sustaining independent living and
gainful employment. VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans Substance
Use Disorder (HCHV SUD) Specialists are playing a critical role in
homelessness prevention, as they are positioned to provide rapid
treatment and stabilization to Veterans in housing who, in the past,
would often return to homelessness if they relapsed. At the close of FY
2011, VA saw a 95 percent hiring rate for HCVD SUD Specialists funded
in the fiscal year. In addition, VA plans to open three new Domiciliary
Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) programs in Denver, Philadelphia, and
San Diego. These facilities will provide state-of-the-art, high quality
residential rehabilitation and treatment services for homeless and at-
risk-of-homeless Veterans, with multiple and severe medical conditions,
mental illness, addiction, or psychosocial problems.
Prevention and Rapid Rehousing
VA believes the most economically efficient way to eliminate
homelessness is to prevent its occurrence. Unlike VA's traditional
homeless programs, which focus on the treatment and rehabilitation of
the individual Veteran, our homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing
efforts address those Veterans and their families who are at immediate
risk for becoming homeless, or have recently become homeless. According
to the 2010 Veterans Supplemental Report to the Annual Homeless
Assessment Report (AHAR), 13 percent of individual Veterans in poverty
became homeless at some point during the year, compared to 6 percent of
adults in the general population. VA's SSVF Program helps Veterans and
their families stabilize following a successful housing placement, by
providing the support necessary to ensure that they are able to sustain
their housing and have access to VA and other community-based services.
For Veterans who have been chronically homeless, such support is
ongoing, readily accessible, and attached to housing.
Moreover, through the SSVF Program, VA awarded in FY 2011 nearly
$60 million in funding to non-profit community organizations with
strong track records of providing comprehensive services to homeless
Veterans and their families. In FY 2012, VA is offering an additional
$100 million in funding for community organizations through the SSVF
Program.
Incarceration is one of the most powerful predictors of
homelessness; thus, outreach to justice-involved Veterans is a key part
of VA's prevention strategy. The mission of VA's Veterans Justice
Programs is to engage Veterans involved in the justice program at any
point in the continuum (arrest, involved in a treatment court,
incarcerated in jail and prison serving a sentence), in comprehensive
VA and community services that will prevent homelessness, improve
social and clinical outcomes, facilitate recovery, and end Veterans'
cyclical contact with the criminal justice system. In FY 2011, VA
served 11,679 Veterans reentering the community after serving a term in
prison, and worked with 15,706 justice-involved Veterans in local jails
and courts. This includes work with Veterans involved in drug treatment
courts, mental health treatment courts, and the 88 Veterans Treatment
Courts that local communities have developed around the country, in
response to communities' desire to connect justice-involved Veterans
with treatment rather than incarceration.
The Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) Home Loan Guaranty
program helps to prevent homelessness by assisting Veterans who fall
behind on mortgage payments avoid foreclosure through intervention
early in the default process, and through outreach to Veterans and
their loan servicers to pursue all available loss-mitigation options.
In FY 2011, VA made over 470,000 contact attempts to Veterans and their
loan servicers in an attempt to save defaulted loans from foreclosure.
VBA monitors every loan continually, throughout the default episode, to
resolve defaults and avoid foreclosures whenever possible. The program
will continue this process, and make adjustments as necessary to
increase effectiveness and maintain the best possible default
resolution rate.
In those unfortunate cases where foreclosure is unavoidable and
where VA acquires the property, VA offers Veteran borrowers relocation
assistance to assist them in transitioning to alternative housing.
Additionally, in any case where VA Loan Technicians know or suspect a
defaulted borrower will be homeless after foreclosure, they refer the
Veteran to local homelessness counselors for intervention.
Housing Opportunities
As mentioned above, HUD-VASH is the Nation's largest supportive
housing initiative that targets homeless Veterans and their families by
HUD providing permanent housing with VA case management and supportive
services to promote successful recovery and housing stability. As of
January 25, 2012, HUD-VASH houses 29,074 Veterans and their families.
In addition, the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program is VA's largest
transitional housing program with over 600 projects providing
approximately 14,000 operational beds nationwide.
VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program has been
successful in developing and expanding contract residential
transitional housing services; 131 programs are operational as of the
first quarter of FY 2012. These programs provide same-day access to
such safe and stable temporary housing for homeless Veterans
transitioning from street homelessness, those being discharged from
institutions, and Veterans who recently became homeless and require
safe and stable living arrangements prior to being re-housed. HCHV has
implemented the evidence-based Safe Haven model--a new element in our
continuum that targets the population of hard to reach homeless
Veterans with severe mental illness and substance use problems. Safe
Haven is a community-based, early recovery supportive housing model
that serves individuals who find it difficult to engage in traditional
treatment and supportive services.
In addition, VA's Building Utilization Review and Repurposing
(BURR) initiative helped identify suitable underutilized or excess land
and buildings within VA's real property portfolio that could be
repurposed and aid in ending Veteran homelessness, by providing safe
and affordable housing for Veterans and their families. As a result of
BURR, VA began developing housing opportunities at 34 locations
nationwide for homeless or at-risk Veterans and their families prior to
the expiration of its Enhanced-Use Lease (EUL) authority, and the
Administration will be working with Congress to identify future
legislative authorities to further repurpose several additional
properties identified by the BURR process.
Financial and Employment Support
Homeless and at-risk Veterans need access to employment
opportunities to support their housing needs, improve the quality of
their lives, and assist in their community reintegration efforts. VA
has committed to supporting this critical component to eliminating
homelessness through the Homeless Veterans Supported Employment Program
(HVSEP). Vocational and employment services are based on rapid
engagement, customized job development, and competitive community
placement, with ongoing supports for maintaining employment.
HVSEP is jointly operated by VHA's Homeless and Compensated Work
Therapy (CWT) Programs. CWT provides vocational rehabilitation services
by medical prescription to Veterans, many of whom have extensive
barriers to employment. Together, CWT and Homeless Programs provide
vocational assistance, job development, job placement, and ongoing
employment supports to improve employment outcomes among homeless
Veterans. To provide these services, HVSEP hired Vocational
Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS), including several Veterans who were
homeless, formerly homeless, or at-risk of becoming homeless. As of
December 31, 2011, 5,596 Veterans received services through HVSEP. Of
this number, 1,591 Veterans were served through HVSEP-secured
employment; and 354 VRS positions were filled by Veterans who were
homeless, formerly homeless, or at-risk of becoming homeless.
Access to disability compensation and pension benefits is a key
component in providing financial support and earned entitlement to
homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families. VBA has full-time
Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinators (HVOCs) to oversee and
coordinate homeless Veterans programs at the 20 VA regional offices
(ROs) whose states have the largest homeless populations. The remaining
ROs also have HVOCs with ancillary duties. HVOCs conduct outreach at
homeless shelters, community events, and VA medical facilities, assist
homeless Veterans with filing claims, and ensure homeless Veterans are
properly identified at the ROs to expedite their claims. Furthermore,
the HVOCs have an effective network and referral system to VHA's
Homeless Coordinators and local community homeless providers to ensure
delivery of VA benefits, healthcare, and other supportive services.
Community Partnerships
VA is committed to fostering strong partnerships with community
organizations to prevent and end Veteran homelessness. For example, the
GPD Program relies significantly on the expertise, experience, and
ingenuity of local community organizations. GPD community providers
collaborate to enter Veterans' client level data into the local
continuums of care's HMIS system, promoting greater linkages to
community services. This allows VA and community partners to respond to
the needs of all homeless Veterans participating in local community
services. As previously mentioned, through the GPD Program, community
partners operate over 600 projects offering over 14,000 beds for
homeless Veteran transitional housing.
VA recognizes that no single Federal or state agency of government
or local organization can end homelessness among Veterans. To that end,
VA has long maintained close working relationships with Federal
partners, such as HUD, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of
Defense (DOD), the Department of Health and Human Services, the Small
Business Administration, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness,
and others, as well as state, local and tribal governments. Veterans
Service Organizations also fill a critical role, as do community- and
faith-based organizations, and the business community. One example of
these efforts is VA's work to develop better connections with
prosecutors and judges in the criminal justice system. Another is the
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), which involves
collaboration with DOL. Through this initiative, DOL's Veterans
Employment and Training Service (VETS) offers funding to community
groups to help Veterans return to gainful employment.
Furthermore, each VA medical center and regional office engages in
meetings with thousands of individuals and organizations across the
country, to enhance collaborations and improve communications. VA is
committed to reaching out and building partnerships with reputable
organizations and individuals who are interested in being part of a
collaborative solution to ending Veteran homelessness.
homelessness among women veterans
The number of women serving in the military has grown
substantially, doubling from four percent of all Veterans in 1990 to
eight percent, or an estimated 1.8 million today. Moreover, the number
of women Veterans will continue to increase as those who deployed to
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan leave the active military.
VA is committed to serving the needs of both male and female
homeless Veterans through a wide array of programs and initiatives
specifically designed to help both segments of the population live as
self-sufficiently and independently as possible. Within the population
served by VA's homeless programs, women comprise approximately 7.9
percent. In addition, according to the 2010 AHAR, women Veterans are
more than twice as likely to be in the homeless population as non-
Veteran women. Some of these women Veterans, like their male
counterparts, are facing challenges readjusting to civilian life and
are at risk of becoming homeless. Many are accompanied by their
children, and have needs particular to keeping both themselves and
their children healthy, safe, and secure.
To learn as much as possible about the gender-specific needs of
homeless women Veterans, VA included requests for information in the
2011 Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking
Groups for Veterans (CHALENG) survey. In addition, VA has undertaken
numerous other efforts to gather information about homeless female
Veterans and their needs. For example, VA researchers are specifically
looking at the barriers women Veterans face in accessing VA services.
Furthermore, VA and HUD have been working in coordination over the past
2 years to jointly collect data for the ``HUD Veteran Homelessness: A
Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homelessness Assessment to
Congress.'' VA, HUD, DOD, and community agencies are also collaborating
to further analyze the data, to develop a more comprehensive picture of
the prevalence and unique needs of homeless female Veterans who may not
currently access VA services.
In collecting data about homeless women Veterans and their use of
VA homeless services, VA has found:
Eleven percent of HUD-VASH recipients Veterans are women.
Among women participating in HUD-VASH, 28 percent planned
to live with children when housed.
More than 200 GPD projects have some capacity to serve
women Veterans. Of the projects that have some capacity to serve women,
approximately 40 are women-specific. In 2011, five percent of Veterans
in the GPD program were women, and six transitional programs provided
specific enhanced services for homeless women and women with families.
the way forward
VA is approaching the midpoint in its 5 Year Plan to End
Homelessness among Veterans. Although we have made significant progress
to date, we recognize fully that our goal to prevent and end
homelessness among Veterans is a complex and difficult task, one
requiring consistent, measurable, and sustained effort from VA, other
Federal agencies, State agencies, and community partners. Our targeted
goals for next two years include:
Continuing to execute VA's strategic plan through
aggressive outreach and communication to homeless and at-risk Veterans;
Implementing Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (H-PACT)
at 32 sites with the goal of eliminating barriers to quality health
care, and improving housing outcomes for Veterans who are homeless or
at imminent risk of homelessness;
Focusing on the prevention of homelessness and rapid
rehousing among Veterans by providing $100 million in community-based
grants through the SSVF program;
Implementing Housing First in 14 high-profile communities.
This strategy supports VA's goal to rapidly house vulnerable and
chronically homeless Veterans in HUD-VASH permanent supportive housing;
Continuing to provide 24/7 outreach through the National
Call Center for Homeless Veterans;
Coordinating with HUD on the release of the 2012 point-in-
time (PIT) data on homelessness among Veterans;
Working with the United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness to secure commitments from other Federal partners to
assist Veterans;
Coordinating the grant review, award development, and
notification for Special Needs Grants for Homeless Veterans Service
Providers, to continue to deliver enhanced services for homeless
Veterans who are seriously mentally ill, women Veterans (including
women with children), elderly Veterans, or those who may be terminally
ill;
Coordinating with VBA's Loan Guaranty Service and numerous
parties interested in increasing housing availability, with a
particular focus on VA foreclosed properties, and increased access to
other sources of inexpensive permanent housing opportunities;
Hiring 200 additional VBA HVOCs to expand prevention-
focused outreach and coverage at VHA facilities and in rural areas; and
Implementing the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program
for unemployed Veterans as authorized in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of
2011.
VA requests favorable and prompt Congressional consideration to
extend the authority for the SSVF Program to prevent/address
homelessness. The SSVF Program provides supportive services to very
low-income Veteran families in or transitioning to permanent housing.
Funds are granted to private non-profit organizations and consumer
cooperatives that assist very low-income Veteran families by providing
a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability.
The SSVF Program is the only VA homeless program that is national in
scope that can provide direct services to both Veterans and their
family members; however, the current law (38 U.S.C. Sec. 2044) only
provides an appropriation authorization through FY 2012. VA proposes to
amend section 2044 to extend the authorization of appropriations to FY
2013 and beyond.
VA is also proposing legislation to extend VA's Homeless Grant and
Per Diem Program to support a ``transition in place model'' toward
permanent housing. By allowing Veterans to ``transition in place'' to
permanent housing, the Department would provide a valuable alternative
for Veterans who may not need or be interested in participating in HUD-
VASH. Proposed legislation would allow VA to fund per diem payments for
transitional housing at 1.5 times the maximum per diem rate to enable
Veterans to remain in their housing unit, i.e. ``transition in place.''
In addition, VA asks Congress to extend authority to provide expanded
services to homeless Veterans. Title 38 U.S.C. Sec. 2033 authorizes VA,
subject to availability of appropriations, to operate a program to
expand and improve the provision of benefits and services to homeless
Veterans. The program includes establishing sites under VA jurisdiction
to be centers for the provision of comprehensive services to homeless
Veterans in at least each of the 20 largest metropolitan statistical
areas. Section 2033 will expire on December 31, 2012; therefore, VA
requests that Congress extend this authority through December 31, 2016.
VA also asks that Congress extend the authority in section 2041 of
title 38, U.S.C., to sell, lease, or donate properties VA obtains
through loan guaranty program foreclosures to nonprofits that agree to
shelter homeless veterans. If section 2041 is not extended, it will
expire December 31, 2012. Finally, VA asks that Congress extend
authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans. VA's
authority to operate this Committee under title 38 U.S.C. Sec. 2066(d)
will expire on December 30, 2012; VA requests that Congress extend this
authority through December 31, 2016.
The BURR initiative, mentioned above, helped identify unused and
underused buildings and land at existing VA property with the potential
for repurposing to Veteran housing. Although the Department's Enhanced
Use Lease authority has expired, VA is prepared to work with Congress
on future legislative authorities to enable the Department to further
repurpose the properties identified by the BURR process.
In the coming year, VA appreciates Congressional support and
interest in efforts to end homelessness among our Nation's Veterans.
This concludes my prepared statement, and my colleagues and I are
prepared to answer your questions.
______
Response to Posthearing Questions Submitted by Hon. Patty Murray to
Pete Dougherty, Acting Executive Director, Homeless Veterans Initiative
Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
______
Response to Posthearing Questions Submitted by Hon. Mark Begich to Pete
Dougherty, Acting Executive Director, Homeless Veterans Initiative
Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Ms. Curry. Hello, everyone, and I want to go ahead and
thank you all for having me today. This is definitely an honor
to be able to open up and talk about my testimony.
I started off as a veteran during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I am from Cleveland, OH. I joined the military in 2008. As I
served overseas and came back to the United States, I suffered
many difficulties finding employment.
So, I recently relocated to Atlanta, GA, because I had a
job opportunity available for me almost immediately. So, I
relocated; and during my process of living in Atlanta, Georgia,
a lot of different circumstances forced me to have to move back
to Cleveland, OH, where I was originally stationed at.
Coming back to Cleveland, OH, it was very hard to find a
job. So, basically I bounced around from different relatives'
homes, different friends; and it just became definitely a
burden because of lot of people that I knew suffered their own
hardships and no one could afford to accommodate another adult.
So, that force me to have to contact the VA. I contacted
the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, and I spoke to a veteran
by the name of William and he directed me over to a female by
the name of Toni Johnson.
Toni Johnson is a representative of the Women's Homeless
Outreach Program and she herself actually opened up a lot of
possibilities for me to get back on my feet.
She told me about the Grant and Per Diem program. I lived
in a homeless shelter, a women's homeless shelter known as the
West Side Catholic Center.
There were other things that were available for me, such as
the employment connections, and I met with a representative by
the name of Angela Cash and she basically helped me to get a
job at the Cleveland Clinic.
So, she offered me classes, computer training, basically
everything that I needed to be able to be readily available for
work. Also she had her own nonprofit organization known as the
Forever Girls at Heart, which is a group of beautiful women who
help me get all of the things that I needed for my apartment.
Now, with that being said, I will be moving into my place
as of Friday if everything goes as planned, and I do have
everything that I need.
So, the VA definitely went above and beyond to make sure
that I did not remain a homeless veteran.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much for your testimony. We
really appreciate that.
Mr. Dougherty, we heard from Ms. Strickland on the first
panel who reached out to the VA and was told there is no help,
literally hung out with nothing. We just heard Ms. Curry,
obviously a totally different story.
With a no-wrong-door policy, it is unacceptable that more
help was not given to Ms. Strickland and others like her.
Ms. Curry, I wanted to ask you. What was the turning point
that lead you to the VA?
Ms. Curry. Actually, it was a very long time before the
resources were actually known to me. I had to do some research.
I actually contacted Military OneSource, which is a very
helpful resource who helps you basically get to a lot of
different resources.
But what led me to the VA was the fact that I was just
tired of being homeless. I was tired of not having a stable job
and having to ask people for things. I am the type of person
where I like to get everything on my own. So, it was definitely
a challenge for me. So, I had to make an adult decision and go
to a shelter where the HUD-VASH program would be available for
me.
Chairman Murray. OK. Mr. Dougherty, both the GAO and
Inspector General found that VA has to improve the way that it
serves homeless women veterans, especially those who have
experienced military sexual trauma.
I am deeply concerned about women veterans, any veterans,
but women veterans being placed in a place with no privacy, no
locks on doors, no locks on bedrooms. It is crucial that those
should be available.
I understand that the Department is developing this new
gender specific, privacy, safety, and security standard for
facilities; and I want that done quickly obviously.
But I want to ask you: Is that enough to make sure we have
protection for women, to make sure there is no registered sex
offenders, are we following that? Especially for women who are
victims of military sexual trauma, are we really making sure we
are focused on those issues?
Mr. Dougherty. Senator, I clearly believe that we are
moving in the direction. I think we have embraced the idea of
moving forward.
Ms. Pape and her staff are working very closely on making
those corrections. I would also say that one of the things that
we have, and we are asking the Committee to do, is to change
the contract care authority requirement.
Currently, under law you have to have a serious mental
illness diagnosis in order to get contract residential care. I
think as the Inspector General just said a few minutes ago that
one of the issues is that in some communities we may not have
enough need to develop a whole program that is big enough to
support a community program.
In those places what we need is we need more flexibility in
contracted residential care in order to make that work.
Chairman Murray. OK. Well, let me be very clear. Given the
strong oversight that this Committee has done leading up to
this hearing, I think it is very clear we are going to be
following this carefully. We want to make sure this is
implemented. It is absolutely a top item for all of us.
Senator Burr.
Senator Burr. Thank you, Chairman.
Mr. Dougherty, just one. I want to highlight the progress
that we have made. There were deficiencies in our structure as
to how I think we attacked the homelessness problem within the
VA, and I think you have done a lot to move us in the right
direction.
A recommendation: I think it is very important to maybe get
on the phone with people like Scott Rogers. Those community
partners that you have that, regardless of who looks at it,
they sort of check all the boxes all the way around to figure
out what is missing in the VA strategy of how to look at this
in a holistic way.
Scott is a pretty assertive person. I have seen flexibility
from a VA hospital that I did not think was possible and it may
have to do with a great administrator. It may have to do with a
medical staff that understands how to save costs by treating
early.
I think Scott would be the first to say they could not have
accomplished what they had if they had not had the partner of
that VA hospital working outside the box on some of the
problems.
What I want to urge you to do and your entire staff is let
us start thinking outside the box on solving this. The last
thing on this Committee that we are holding anybody to a
standard is to live within the framework of what we have done
in the past. If we do that, our expectations cannot be any
different than the results of the past.
The Secretary has stated he wants to end this. Well, if we
are going to end it, we are going to have to work with more
partners who think more outside the box, who design things that
maybe even unique to their community. But it is going to
involve a partnership with all aspects of VA.
I am not sure that that buy-in exists today. If it does, it
is because we have a strong community partner that has
convinced the local entity to do it.
It would be much more natural if, in fact, that was built
into our model and pushed from within VA and not just pushed or
highlighted in the oversight process.
So, I challenge you. Let us reach out to these folks. Let
us understand what they need. Let us understand how we will be
successful and then work with us to try to incorporate those.
Again, I thank you.
Chairman Murray. Thank you very much. We do have a series
of votes that are called, and I have to get to the Floor for
part of that. I am going to turn the gavel over to Senator
Begich for the final comments. I want to thank all of our
witnesses and let you know that we are going to continue to
follow up. We will have more questions that we will submit to
you.
Senator Begich, thank you.
Senator Begich [presiding]. Thank you very much, Madam
Chair. I will be very quick and then I know, Senator Boozman,
you may have a quick question or two so I will try to limit
mine quickly here.
I will submit something for the record. I have several that
I have, and I will share that with you. But first, I want to
make sure just any time we have these discussions they put on
the record that I am requesting especially in rural areas that
we have additional HUD and VASH vouchers.
As we know, veterans are moving more and more to rural
areas and there is a great need. Of course, Alaska, there is no
other place more rural than Alaska. So, I want to make sure
that that is clear.
But you have a really good program in Anchorage and Mat-Su
that is working in Alaska, support services, veterans family,
working with the Catholic social services organization. It
seems to be having some great success.
I guess here is my question. I think as Senator Burr said
and others we have lots of programs in every State. The
question is do you have a process that, I do not know if you
have, I will use this phrase carefully, an advisory board or
group of these organizations that, on a regular basis, are
critiquing and adding information to, not only on an ad hoc
basis where you call them up and say, you know, we have gotten
a call from a Senator and now we need to respond.
And then the second part of this question is: Is there a
model that says maybe in this arena the role of the VA is
really a granting agency and we are going to be grant
administers and we are going to have folks in the private
sector, nonprofit sector, and potentially in the for-profit
sector depending on what services are needed, that will then
connect these things?
And I use the Catholic social services as an example. It
seems to be in our State a successful model. Any comments on
that?
Mr. Dougherty. Senator, we have both a national advisory
group that answers our questions but we also have a meeting
process that occurs through each VA medical center and that is
an opportunity for community service providers, local
governments, and veterans themselves to come.
I have been to a couple of those meetings myself. I know
Lisa Pape has as well. That really is to meet the local needs
of the local community, look at the local strengths and
weaknesses within the local community, and to develop a local
plan of how to address those needs.
The other comment that you made is absolutely correct, and
that is that what we are doing in a going forward way is more
and more of what we are doing is going out and working with the
community. All of the prevention effort is really community
led.
Senator Begich. If I can just say one more quick thing and
I appreciate that. That is great. I guess I want to do some
additional follow-up with regard to that.
But also in the model as I mentioned, the SSFF which is the
Catholic social services program partnering with you, you have
some caps within there, so much for direct dollars and so much
for administration.
When I, as a former mayor and as a person, actually almost
30 years ago or 25 years ago, had to manage grants, we put
artificial caps like that in there, and I say ``artificial''
because they are based on some modeling that someone did in
some room, we really restrict the innovation of these
nonprofits.
Why have those caps? Why do not just say, and I can tell
you Catholic social services will tell you in Alaska these caps
are a problem. Even though the program is successful, they are
not allowing them to expand a little bit and give a little so
they are trying to meet this 30 percent number.
Why not just eliminate those caps and look at the success
of the program instead? And if you answer yes, I am going to
tell you what the answer should be, then next is you should do
that immediately.
Mr. Dougherty. The model, if you will, was taken after what
was done on a community experience with the Department of
Housing and Urban Development. What we tried to do is to give
some perspective of what we thought we wanted to achieve with
it.
I can tell you that, obviously, in a going-forward way we
are always looking at what those needs are and what people are
giving us in terms of feedback. So, there may well be some
changes and additional flexibility coming forward.
Senator Begich. That is the answer. Flexibility in the caps
would be great because what works in HUD may not work in VA.
What works in New York will definitely not work in Kwethiuk,
AK. I will guarantee you that.
Mr. Dougherty. I understand.
Senator Begich. Senator Boozman, I was going to call on you
next but Senator Brown has entered and he is on the list first,
then I will come right to you.
Senator Brown.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. I will be brief. I know
that Senator Boozman has some questions he wants to get to, but
I do note the fact that we have Ms. Curry here. It was nice to
meet you out back. You have a success story where VA helped
you. Yet we had on the other panel somebody not so fortunate.
What that shows me is a lack of consistency. We obviously
have to make sure that we have more like Ms. Curry's story. So,
that is my statement.
Mr. Dougherty, how is VA working to improve data collection
so that VA and Congress have information to effectively
allocate the resources to ensure homeless veterans receive the
needed services?
That is based on the GAO report saying that, you know, the
information is lacking.
Mr. Dougherty. Do you want to?
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Either one.
Mr. Dougherty. Ms. Pape.
Ms. Pape. We have been collecting data on homeless veterans
for over 20 years now. What we have done to really enhance in
the last several years is roll over into an electronic system
and enhancing the kind of data that we are asking for so there
are more questions related to people's experience, their
medical issues, their housing issues prior and leaving the
program.
But what really is where we are shooting for is connecting
with the community and aligning our data collection system with
the homeless management information system that the continuums
of care do so that we have a coordinated and integrated
collection system to look at what veterans are entering both
the VA and the community and the capacity, bed capacity, and
things like that.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. And I want to apologize,
for the record, people see me bouncing in and out. I am
actually in a Government Regs hearing in the next building. So,
I have been trying to be two places at once, which usually does
not work well. So, I appreciate everybody's patience, and so
you understand what I am up against today.
I was concerned in seeing that women in particular took an
average of 4 months before securing HUD-VASH housing and 30
days for GDP programs. What is being done to ensure that these
women veterans receive a referral for temporary housing in a
more timely manner? Either of you.
Ms. Pape. Thank you, sir. We already have a policy in place
in which all medical centers have to have a referral system in
place to either house veterans in one of their in-patient beds
or residential beds or have a partnership in the community to
house a female veteran or any veteran within at least 3 days of
finding them in a shelter.
Obviously, we heard that there needs to be some
improvements through the Inspector General, and we are working
with our medical centers to continue coordinating to do more
contract residential housing so that we have those
opportunities for every veteran in every site.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. And just two quick follow
ups, and I will defer back any of my time. Number 1, how do we
make sure that the veterans who are getting the assistance are
actually homeless?
Number 2, Senator Begich may have an interest in this: how
do we make sure that the veterans have access to Grant and Per
Diem programs in underserved areas, and how do these programs
align with the VA spending priorities?
Mr. Dougherty. One of the things, we have Maura Squire is
here with the Veterans Benefits Administration out of the
Boston regional office, but one of the first things we have to
do is we have to prove the identification, is the person who is
making contact with us a veteran.
Then the question is how do we make sure that the person
who is coming to us is in need of services and really is in
need of services and not just a low-income person, for example.
That has to be done by having people who can make the
assessment and do the assessment that the veteran is, in fact,
a veteran and also that there is an assessment made what
service is appropriate for the veteran to receive.
That is a process that does take a little bit of time. One
of the things that we do ask for is to have more staff like
Maura who can make that assessment of the veteran being a
veteran eligible for services.
Senator Brown of Massachusetts. Maura, thank you for coming
and certainly during Jerry McDermott or Austin Lord, anyone at
my office feel free to have a relationship with you, we take
our veterans' issues very, very seriously.
We actually have a wall in our office covered with letters
thanking us for helping not only with housing but benefits and
kind of cutting through the red tape, and that is the biggest
challenge. Thank you for what you are doing.
I will defer any of my time back to you, Mr. Chairman,
thank you.
Senator Begich. Senator Boozman.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BOOZMAN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM ARKANSAS
Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just real
quickly, thank you Ms. Curry for being here. Again, you put a
face and a person to a statistic and that is so important. We
appreciate you taking the time to come and tell your story.
I think that the Inspector General report is disturbing,
very disturbing in the sense that in regard to the safety and
security of women in some of these facilities and especially
some of them having similar problems or, you know, potential
problems in their deployment or whatever.
But I think I can speak for all of the Committee and
Congress in general that we are very, very concerned and
certainly we have got to figure out that is not tolerate it,
period.
I guess my question would be: are there any Congressional
tools that we need to give you? Is there any way that the
Committee can help you in regard to dealing with that or do you
need any additional legislation? Do you need any additional
whatever?
Mr. Dougherty. Well, we have several legislative issues
that we are bringing before the Committee. One is to get more
benefits and staff so we can make sure those veterans get
timely benefits because what happens in the stories that you
are hearing, many of the veterans that we are interacting with
if they could get access to benefits quicker and faster,
whether it is benefits to get back into education or vocational
rehabilitation services or employment-related services, those
things are very important. Just the identification because some
do not have a veteran paper, if you will, when they are first
going and applying. The other is the prevention.
Senator Boozman. I do not mean to interrupt. But what is
the turnaround time as far as the application and the
beginning?
Mr. Dougherty. Well, in the Grant and Per Diem program, we
are under a guidance that says within 3 days we have to verify
a veteran's status. That is our standard: 3 days. That is
statutorily provided for. But it is often times difficult for
us to make that determination as quickly as it needs to be done
in that program.
Senator Boozman. Very good.
Mr. Dougherty. But in the other, the prevention, clearly,
Senator, I have been doing this for a long time and the issue
for us is what we need to do to stop the inflow, and the inflow
I am convinced is going to be most effectively taken care of by
working with community providers across the Nation who have the
flexibility and the independence to work in ways that we inside
the government cannot do. They have the flexibility to do
things that we in government cannot do as well.
We give them that permission to do that because, as Senator
Begich points out and certainly I know your State well, the
difference in the States of Arkansas and Alaska are many, and
they are very different from the States of Rhode Island and New
York.
So, we have to have program flexibility that gives those
local community providers the ability to stop veterans from
ever becoming homeless and going through the indignity of that
experience.
Senator Boozman. Very good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
thank you for your hard work, all of you.
Senator Begich. Thank you very much. I have one question
that I will end on, and then I may submit more for the record.
I want to state the question and you can answer it at a later
time.
That is, with housing homeless veterans and dealing with
mental health services, you know, there in Alaska--and this is
a very Alaska-centric question on mental health centers and
also the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, behavior
health aids--I wonder: why replicate a system when there
already is one in a very rural area that maybe the VA can tap
into through a coordinated resource allocation to make it
happen.
That is the question I am going to submit. I want you to
think about that, again, like do not create two parallel
tracks. How do we make one and maximize the capacity? That is
the question.
Let me again thank the witnesses on both panels for sharing
their personal stories, their experience. We appreciate each of
you being here, being part of this panel. We have reached the
halfway point with Secretary Shinseki's plan to end
homelessness. It is clear we have more work to do. We all
acknowledge that.
This Committee will continue to do the oversight necessary
and the conversation back and forth from providers and people
who are experiencing homelessness to understand what more we
can do.
The Committee looks forward to working on this issue now
and into the future.
The record will be kept open for questions for the next
week. So, anticipate some. I know I have some I will submit.
Again, we thank you all very much for participating in
today's hearing.
The hearing is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:47 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
Prepared Statement of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Chairman Patty Murray, Ranking Member Richard Burr, and
distinguished Members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs: The
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) is honored to present
this Statement for the Record for the March 14, 2012, hearing on
``Ending Homelessness Among Veterans.''
At a time of significant Federal budget constraints, there is an
increasing need for the Federal Government to leverage existing
resources and maximize its investments. NCHV represents more than 2,100
community- and faith-based organizations nationwide that serve veterans
in crisis--these are the ``creative geniuses'' to which Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki refers when discussing the pillars of
his department's Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness. More than
600 of these organizations, through the VA Grant and Per Diem Program,
represent local integrated service networks, which provide housing and
services to more than 30,000 homeless veterans each year.
While the scope of this hearing deals primarily with progress made
by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and its Federal agency and
community-based partners, we want to recognize and commend the Senate
Committee on Veterans' Affairs for its leadership in making possible
the tremendous success of the Five-Year Plan to date. Your legacy of
bipartisan support for the programs serving this Nation's most
vulnerable heroes has helped reduce the number of homeless veterans
each night in America to 67,495--that estimate represents a more than
70% reduction since 2004.
We cannot guarantee the men and women who serve our Nation in a
military uniform will not return home with wounds and hardships they
will need help to overcome, but as a nation we are closer than we have
ever been to ensuring none of them will ever again be left to fend for
themselves on the streets when they do.
That is the promise of the Five-Year Plan to End Veteran
Homelessness, and this Committee's work has brought us within reach of
that goal by 2015.
hud-vash
Perhaps the most critical development in the Five-Year Plan, the
expansion of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) has made
housing available to men and women with serious mental illness, other
disabilities, and chronic substance abuse. Nearly 11% of these
dedicated Section 8 vouchers have been awarded to low-income, single
veterans with dependent children.
Thanks in large part to this Committee, about 7,500 of the HUD-VASH
vouchers zeroed out in the FY 2011 HUD appropriations bill were
restored, and another $75 million was approved in FY 2012 to bring the
number of vouchers to 48,000--80% of the 60,000 goal of both HUD
Secretary Shaun Donovan and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
The President's request for $75 million for HUD-VASH in the FY 2013
budget request would bring the authorization to both agencies' original
goal more than a year earlier than the most ambitious projections, and
would make ending chronic homelessness among veterans a virtual
certainty.
grant and per diem program
The VA Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD)--which provides
transitional housing with supportive services--has had a significant
impact in decreasing the number of homeless veterans in need of
assistance each day. Based on FY 2011 VA program evaluation data,
approximately 30,000 homeless veterans received services through GPD
and 50% of those participants advanced to permanent housing upon
completion of the program. According to the VA CHALENG Reports from
2005 through 2009, the reduction in the number of homeless veterans
during that period was estimated to be about 57.2%.
After two decades of program development, VA research has shown
most homeless veterans who enter GPD programs are able to regain
control of their health and other personal issues and advance to full
employment and independent living in less than half of the two-year
eligibility period for the program.
However, the majority of those clients are still at risk of
homelessness after they exit the program because, in most communities,
there is a critical shortage of affordable housing for low-income and
extreme low-income individuals and families. Providing access to safe,
affordable housing is the most critical component of the VA Five-Year
Plan and the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.
The approval of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs to
increase GPD authorization by $100 million in FY 2012 to a record $250
million is vital to creating veteran access to long-term and permanent
housing in communities where affordable housing is in short supply or
nonexistent. Most homeless veterans do not need permanent supportive
housing (HUD-VASH), and could advance out of the GPD program much more
rapidly through innovative strategies like Transition in Place, which
will be a more viable option with this funding increase.
prevention strategies
Your recognition of the importance of the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) grant program is another essential component of
the Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness. Fashioned after the
incredibly successful Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing
Program, this funding will help communities prevent veteran
homelessness through short- to medium-term rental assistance, and rapid
re-housing initiatives--including first- and last-month rent deposits,
utilities hook-up fees, and basic furnishings.
More than 1.2 million families received help and avoided
homelessness under the HPRP program; unfortunately veterans were
severely under-represented among program beneficiaries. Funding
increases the Committee supported will help address that inequity. The
$300 million in the President's FY 2013 Budget request will go a long
way in driving down the number of homeless veterans by increasing
homeless veterans' access to housing, and services to help many others
remain housed.
One other critical program, the Homeless Veterans Reintegration
Program (HVRP)--administered by the Department of Labor-Veterans'
Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS)--remains underfunded at just
above $38 million. This Committee has worked to help reauthorize the
program at the $50 million level, yet the Labor Department's FY 2013
Budget submission does not meet this amount.
As the Nation's only employment program wholly dedicated to serving
homeless veterans, most of whom have serious and multiple barriers to
re-entering the workforce, HVRP has a vital function in the Plan to End
Veteran Homelessness. Given the high veteran unemployment rate,
especially among young veterans, NCHV does not foresee an imminent
drop-off in demand for the program's services.
in summation
The community-based homeless veteran service providers NCHV
represents have worked closely with the Departments of Veterans
Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor to help draft and
implement the Five-Year Plan to End Veteran Homelessness--both on the
local and national levels.
And we are pleased to report on the progress of the Five-Year Plan.
We believe the essential components of the Plan are in place and are
advancing--access to housing, health services, income stability, and
prevention strategies. We have reached the midway point in the Plan,
and have witnessed a historic transformation in the service provider
community that positions the Federal Government and its allies to reach
a goal many believed was virtually unattainable just a few years ago.
NCHV has been at the center of the campaign to end veteran
homelessness since 1990, and knows better than most the role that the
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs has played in bringing this
Nation to this moment in history. We have been proud to serve alongside
you, and will be with you when our shared mission is finally
accomplished.
With profound gratitude,
John Driscoll,
President and CEO.
Matt Gornick,
Assistant Policy Director.