VA awards $3.5 million to reduce veteran homelessness in SLO County

Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo and Good Samaritan Shelter receive VA boost for SLO County homeless Veteran services.

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently awarded $799 million in grants to non-profit organizations to provide resources and housing to at-risk and homeless Veterans and their families through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. In San Luis Obispo County, the following organizations were awarded:

• $2.14 million to the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO)
• $1.45 million to Good Samaritan Shelter

Both organizations work to end Veteran homelessness in San Luis Obispo County through the provision of homelessness prevention services and rapid rehousing programs. Through these local nonprofit partnerships, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program provides partial and full rental assistance, security deposits, utility payments, and legal representation to Veterans currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Veteran homelessness in San Luis Obispo County has reduced by nearly 80% since 2020. Both the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo and Good Samaritan Shelter are optimistic that “functional zero Veteran homelessness” may soon be a reality in San Luis Obispo County.

Since October 1st, 2022, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo has served 117 Veteran households through its SSVF Program. According to CAPSLO’s SSVF Program Manager Brandy Graham, they have been able to exceed the number of families they projected to serve. She credited this to the excellent collaboration and responsiveness from the San Luis Obispo County branch of the Housing and Urban Development-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH).

While these funds are not new, the level of support is. During the pandemic, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program received additional federal funds through COVID-related avenues which significantly increased the number of people that were able to find and maintain housing. To prevent a funding cliff after the expiration of the public health funding flexibilities, Congress enacted legislation to increase funding to the Veteran Affairs program and continue the level of support needed to provide every Veteran and their family with stable and safe housing.

The County of San Luis Obispo’s Homeless Services Oversight Council administers this Veterans Affairs fund along with other Federal and State awards intended to address homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. The Homeless Services Oversight Council coordinates and supervises the homeless services administered across the county and is facilitated by the County of San Luis Obispo’s Homeless Services Division under the Department of Social Services.