U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awards 18 grants totaling $101M to help veterans and their families find safe, supportive housing.
Jane, a current resident of Volunteers of America Colorado Branch’s Clermont Commons, a Transitional Housing Program for homeless women veterans, is not only a single mother but a full time student. Jane, who is from the Fiji Islands, came to the United States in 2005. After struggling to find employment, she decided to join the United States Army. She deployed to Iraq in 2007, shortly after giving birth to her son.
In 2005, upon graduating from a halfway house, John Saunders, a veteran, was having a difficult time finding housing. One of the counselors at the halfway house, also a veteran, lived at East 119th Street Veterans Residence in East Harlem and he advised him to obtain a copy of his army discharge papers and apply for veterans housing there. At the time of his acceptance, East 119th Street Veterans Residence was operated by an organization other than Volunteers of America Greater New York and was in need of repair.
Deltric Davis served two years in the Army on the front lines in Iraq. After having an epileptic seizure, he received an early honorable discharge. After leaving the military, he lost his direction. He briefly attended Southern University and had a temporary job assisting with the BP Deepwater horizon cleanup efforts, but by November 2011 he was homeless, jobless and living on the streets.
