MDC (Metropolitan Development Council) has been awarded a three-year, $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help ensure that veterans in all counties in Washington state will have access to services that aim to end veteran homelessness.
Under the grant in Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), MDC will work with its partners to serve an additional 720 veterans and their families over the next three years. The grant will help bring services to veterans in San Juan, Grays Harbor, Mason, Skamania, Klickitat, Adams, Lincoln, Ferry, Kitsap and Thurston counties. MDC already works with partners in Pierce, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Cowlitz and Pacific counties.
MDC will work with its community partners in the Washington State Community Action Partnership (WSCAP) in many of the counties that will be served, including HopeSource, Blue Mountain Action Council, and the Opportunity Council, as well as with Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest.
“This grant reflects the work we are already doing toward ending veteran homelessness in the counties we serve,” said MDC President and CEO Mark Pereboom. “We thank our partners and our congressional delegation for their support in this work. This is an opportunity to be part of the team that works to recognize the service of veterans across the state. It also will allow us to integrate other services for veterans to help ensure that they can be successful.”
This new grant is part of the nationwide push to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. The goal of the effort is to move toward a concept called Functional Zero, where any veteran who slips into homelessness is given access to immediate temporary housing within 24 hours of being found to be homeless, and then helped with permanent housing within 30 days.