VA awards $26.8M in grants to support legal services for Veterans experiencing or at risk for homelessness

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding $26.8 million in legal services grants to a total of 108 public and non-profit organizations, all with the goal of increasing access to legal services for eligible Veterans experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

Ending Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA and for the Biden-Harris Administration. These grant funds, made available as part of VA's Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grant Program, more than double the total dollars and mark a 37% increase in grantees over last year's inaugural grant cycle.

"Every Veteran deserves access to safe, affordable and permanent housing, and we know that legal support is among the most needed services by Veterans experiencing or at risk for homelessness," said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. "Through these grants, we are working hard to ensure Veterans' unique civil legal needs are met and drive towards our ultimate goal of ending homelessness for all Veterans and their families."

This grant program is enabled by the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D., Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 and ensures at least 10% of funding supports the provision of legal services for women Veterans. Individual grant awards are up to $300,000 for a 14-month grant cycle starting Aug. 1, 2024. Grant recipients will deliver a variety of legal services to Veterans:

• Providing representation in landlord-tenant disputes to prevent eviction.
• Assisting with court proceedings for child support, custody, or estate planning.
• Helping Veterans obtain benefits like disability compensation.
• Defending Veterans in criminal cases that can prolong or increase their risk of homelessness, such as outstanding warrants, fines, and driver's license revocation.
• Upgrading characterization of discharges or dismissals of former members of the Armed Forces.

Legal services are one way VA is working to eliminate Veteran homelessness and meet the goal of placing at least 41,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing this year. Thanks in part to VA's efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by nearly 5% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010. The department has also expanded access to health care for homeless Veterans and called for a moratorium on foreclosures for Veterans with VA-guaranteed loans.

Meeting the needs of Veterans at risk or experiencing homelessness is a whole-of government effort. Today's grant awards complement other programs delivering needed services to at-risk Veterans, including the recent $57 million announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program to help Veterans experiencing homelessness re-enter the workforce.

For more information, including the list of this year's grantees, visit Legal Services for Veterans or email [email protected].