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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today announced that Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency in Wyandotte will receive a $637,122 grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue their work providing housing and other services to homeless and low-income veteran families. The grant is awarded through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and they deserve our full support when they come home,” said Dingell. “This investment provides much needed assistance to ensure our heroes and their families have a roof over their head and a permanent place to call home.” 

The SSVF program typically serves veterans with incomes below 30 percent of the area median income. Grants are awarded to organizations that follow the housing first approach, which centers on permanently housing homeless veterans quickly and providing supportive services as needed. Additional SSVF requirements are that grantees engage in outreach to find and serve veterans in need, provide veterans with case management and assist them in obtaining VA and other public benefits. 

The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency partners with the Monroe County Opportunity Program (MCOP) and the Michigan Ability Partners (MAP) to serve area veterans.

SSVF served 127,829 participants in fiscal year 2014 and is on track to serve 135,000 veterans and their family members by the end of fiscal year 2015. As a result of these and other efforts, veteran homelessness is down significantly since the launch of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in 2010. Since 2010, nearly 230,000 veterans and their family members have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from falling into homelessness by VA’s homelessness programs and targeted housing vouchers provided by HUD.