Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans

Five-Year Plan Unveiled at Homeless Summit

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, at the "VA National
Summit Ending Homelessness Among Veterans," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki unveiled the department's comprehensive plan to end homelessness
among Veterans by marshalling the resources of government, business and the
private sector.

"President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among
Veterans within the next five years," said Shinseki. "Those who have served
this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living
without care and without hope."

Shinseki's comprehensive plan to end homelessness includes preventive measures
like discharge planning for incarcerated Veterans re-entering society,
supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families and a national
referral center to link Veterans to local service providers. Additionally,
the plan calls for expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and
housing.

"Our plan enlarges the scope of VA's efforts to combat homelessness," said
Shinseki. "In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless Veterans off
the streets. Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending
up homeless."

Other features of the plan outlined by Shinseki include:
-- The new Post-9/11 GI Bill provides a powerful option for qualified
Veterans to pursue a fully funded degree program at a state college or
university. It is a major component of the fight against Veteran
homelessness.
-- VA is collaborating with the Small Business Administration and the
General Services Administration to certify Veteran-owned small
businesses and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses for
listing on the Federal Supply Register, which enhances their
visibility
and competitiveness - creating jobs for Veterans.
-- VA will spend $3.2 billion next year to prevent and reduce
homelessness
among Veterans. That includes $2.7 billion on medical services and
more
than $500 million on specific homeless programs.
-- VA aggressively diagnoses and treats the unseen wounds of war that
often
lead to homelessness - severe isolation, dysfunctional behaviors,
depression and substance abuse. Last week, VA and the Defense
Department cosponsored a national summit on mental health that will
help
both agencies better coordinate mental health efforts.

-- VA partners with more than 600 community organizations to provide
transitional housing to 20,000 Veterans. It also works with 240
public
housing authorities to provide permanent housing to homeless Veterans
and their families under a partnership with the Department of Housing
and Urban Development. The VA/HUD partnership will provide permanent
housing to more than 20,000 Veterans and their families.

Over the duration of the conference it is expected that over 1,200 homeless
service providers from federal and state agencies, the business community, and
faith-based and community providers will attend and participate in the summit.

"This is not a summit on homelessness among Veterans," added Shinseki. "It's a
summit on ending homelessness among Veterans."

SOURCE U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-461-7600