VA Augusta has announced it has provided 122 permanent housing placements to local veterans in 2022, via its Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, or HCHV.
Through the program’s efforts, the VA was able to place veterans in apartments or houses that they could rent or own, often made affordable through subsidies.
HCHV began as the Chronically Mentally Ill Program, established in 1987, and has since evolved into a robust case-management program to connect former servicemembers experiencing homelessness with safe and affordable housing and health care.
“Our team serves as an essential bridge to physical and mental health services, as well as substance abuse services,” said Sabrina Faircloth, HCHV manager. “Once enrolled in the program, veterans receive intensive case management and wrap-around services to resolve their housing crisis.”
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The program applies a “housing first” approach to its support, which prioritizes providing stable housing before addressing other issues, such as mental health or unemployment. Once a veteran is safely housed, the program offers wraparound services, such as health care, job training and legal assistance.
As each individual vet’s circumstances, conditions and needs are unique, their manner of support is tailored to them.
“With the national housing crisis, we have seen rent rates increase, making it unaffordable for those on a fixed income,” Faircloth said. “Some veterans have lost employment due to the economy or are struggling with mental health or substance-use challenges.”
The program obtains housing in large part by maintaining relationships with likeminded individuals and organizations, such as food banks, social services and public housing authorities who offer housing subsidies.
The HCHV team often partners with Supportive Services for Veteran Families, a collection of non-profit organizations that work with the VA on securing permanent housing solutions.
“Fighting homelessness among veterans is a team effort,” said Dr. Robin Jackson, executive director of VA Augusta Health Care System. “The VA Augusta homeless programs staff worked closely with our grantees, contractors, and valued community partners to surpass this goal.”
HCHV also regularly partners with local landlords to stay up to date on available housing options.
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“Half of our homeless program staff are veterans which, which allows us to quickly develop a rapport and immediately begin working on creative housing solutions,” said Faircloth.
Alongside conducting street outreach and connecting with local shelters, the team maintains a walk-in office, at the Augusta VA Medical Center Uptown, on One Freedom Way, off Wrightsboro Road, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Veterans Administration aimed to house 38,000 homeless veterans across the U.S. in 2022. VA Augusta doubled the goal set by national VA homeless program leadership, contributing to the administration exceeding its nationwide goal last year by more than 6.3%.
Veterans experiencing homelessness, or at risk for homelessness, are urged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838), or visit https://www.va.gov/homeless/hud-vash.asp to learn about homelessness initiatives and programs.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
