National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Holds Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.,...

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Holds Annual Conference in
Washington, D.C., June 23-25

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Coalition for
Homeless Veterans (NCHV) will hold its annual conference June 23-25 at the
Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. Representatives of more than 300
community service providers, government agencies and businesses will attend
the three-day training event.

There has been a decrease in the number of homeless veterans each night on the
streets of America, according to VA estimates, from nearly 300,000 in 2003 to
154,000 in 2007. VA officials credit much of that decrease to the agency's
partnership with community-based organizations that help homeless veterans,
approximately 280 of which are NCHV members.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will address the
attendees during the event's opening session Monday, June 23. During the last
several years the Department of Defense has been exploring ways to improve
separation counseling for service members to ease their transition back to
civilian life and reduce the hardships some will encounter after exposure to
combat.

Mullen will be joined by several notable speakers during the program.
Representatives Bob Filner (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, and Al Green (D-TX), sponsor of the Homes for Heroes Act in
the House, will also speak during the opening session, as will Department of
Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary Gordon Mansfield.

Peter Dougherty, VA Director of Homeless Programs, will participate in a
lively public policy review Monday afternoon that will also feature Mark
Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for HUD's Office of Special Populations
and one of the original architects of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program
(HUD-VASH). Topics that will be covered include the utilization of surplus VA
property for transitional and permanent housing projects; funding of services
for low-income and disabled veterans in permanent housing; and possible
expansion of the two federal grant programs in place to provide assistance to
America's homeless veterans.

Workshops will focus on providing supportive services to families of
Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan); early
interventions to help young combat veterans reduce their risk of homelessness;
developing homeless courts to help clients overcome legal barriers to housing
and employment; and providing effective employment preparation and placement
services to homeless veterans.

On Tuesday evening, June 24, the Grand Hyatt will host the Annual NCHV Awards
Banquet featuring keynote speaker Urban Miyaers of San Diego, a blind veteran
who provides guidance and consultation for disabled veterans who are
self-employed.

As recently as the mid 1980s there were no federal veteran-specific programs
dedicated to serving homeless veterans. Service providers, who realized a
large percentage of their homeless clients were veterans, organized the
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans in 1990 to raise public awareness of
the issue, and to advocate for more federal assistance to help veterans who
were unable to access assistance through mainstream programs. Today, the VA
and its community partners offer assistance to more than 250,000 homeless
veterans and their families each year.

SOURCE National Coalition For Homeless Veterans

John Driscoll, Vice President, of National Coalition For Homeless Veterans,
+1-202-546-1969, During Event: +1-202-295-7103, nchv4@nchv.org