$11M+ to support housing, services for homeless veterans in Montana
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from the Office of Senator Tester
BIG SANDY — U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced on Aug. 30 more than $11 million in funding to support homeless and at-risk veterans and their families across Montana.
“The men and women who risk their lives to defend our country deserve to be treated with dignity when they come home, and that starts with ensuring each and every one of them has a safe roof over their head,” said Tester. “We’ve got to keep connecting folks with the tools they need to succeed here at home, and that’s why I’m proud to have helped secure these critical resources to help tackle veterans’ homelessness in Montana.”
Tester secured funding for the following service organizations focused on helping prevent and end veterans’ homelessness across Montana:
· $10,917,945 for the Volunteers of America Northern Rockies
· $1,837,500 for Veterans Inc.
These awards are a portion of the more than $799 million in grants for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, which is awarded to help rapidly rehouse veterans and their families, prevent homelessness for veterans experiencing housing insecurity, incentivize landlords to rent to veterans struggling with housing, and more.
The Senator also secured funding to provide veterans access to transitional housing and case management services to access additional support through the Grand Per Diem program.
This grant funding will be provided to Montana veterans at several organizations across the state including The Poverello Center in Missoula
Continuing his fight to end veterans’ homelessness, Tester introduced the bipartisan Critical Health Access Resource and Grant Extensions (CHARGE) Act of 2023 to protect measures currently being implemented by VA to curb veterans’ homelessness, including the GDP grant program.
“We are excited about the announcement of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ grant awards to community organizations, like the Poverello Center in Missoula, that provide veterans with transitional housing and case management, which we know are crucial to effectively ending veterans’ homelessness in the country,” said Jill Bonny, Executive Director of the Poverello Center. “We extend our gratitude to Senator Tester for his unwavering commitment to securing this funding and his dedicated efforts in championing these critical issues. He has been a fierce advocate, not only for Montana’s veterans but also across the country for years. He is truly a champion for all veterans.”
