Feds Award Inland Nonprofits Grants to Help Homeless Veterans

Three nonprofit organizations that provide services to homeless veterans throughout the Inland Empire were among nearly 300 groups nationwide to receive federal grants in support of outreach to vets, it was announced Monday.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded Community Catalysts of California a $1.94 million grant, while the Lighthouse Treatment Center received $565,284 and the U.S. Veterans Initiative received $1.62 million. All three nonprofits directly serve Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The VA is disbursing the funds from its Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, which focuses on finding permanent housing for dispossessed vets.

“SSVF grants empower our local partners to provide ... interventions that promote housing stability among the most economically vulnerable veterans and their families,” said VA Secretary Robert McDonald. “Whether they need rental or child care assistance, transportation vouchers or another type of support, SSVF grantees offer Veterans the mix of services they need to gain housing and stay housed.”

Grant recipients are required to serve veterans in need without establishing “preconditions” and continue to assist them after they’ve been housed, according to the VA.

Officials said more than 230,000 vets and their families have received assistance since the program was inaugurated in 2010.

The 2015-16 fiscal year grant disbursals announced today total roughly $300 million, going to 286 nonprofits.

More information about the SSVF program is available here: http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp .

Veterans seeking help were encouraged to call (877) 424-3838.

• --City News Service, photo via Shutterstock