Senator Murray: “I believe very strongly no one who served our country should have to wonder where they’re spending the night or if they’ll have a roof over their head”
***LISTEN TO SENATOR MURRAY’S FULL ROUNDTABLE HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, hosted a virtual roundtable with King County veterans organizations where they discussed local and federal efforts to end veteran homelessness, in particular federal funding that has helped King County make critical investments to keep veterans housed.
“I believe very strongly no one who served our country should have to wonder where they’re spending the night or if they’ll have a roof over their head. That’s why I have been working for years to help ensure our veterans have safe, secure, affordable housing options,” said Senator Murray. “Housing saves lives—plain and simple. And when it comes to our veterans, we have a serious obligation to meet, so count on me to be in your corner—fighting for every dollar I can bring back to King County and working to cut any red tape standing in your way.”
“In fighting to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we were given new tools through CARES that also helped us fight homelessness – hotel rooms, cell phones, and new transportation options. We could bring a struggling Veteran medicine and a cell phone in their hotel room and connect them by video to a counselor,” said Dr. Simha Reddy, VA Puget Sound Health Care System Homeless Patient Align Care Team Director. “It’s been a joy to see Veterans recover and heal more quickly with the right supports.”
“VA Puget Sound funding from the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act helped support programming and services for our homeless Veterans—from decompressing congregate/transitional housing programs to on-site testing and vaccinations at our HUD-VASH project-based facilities,” said Cara Franke, VA Puget Sound Health Care System Director of Community Housing and Outreach Services. “The collaboration of our community partners has been essential to our efforts to care for our Veterans during COVID-19.”
“It’s a privilege to be able to serve those who have served our country, and there are so many people who have dedicated their careers to this important work and share in the responsibility of this progress, including Senator Murray,” said Evan Brennan, Program Manager with the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program at Sound. “There are many reasons for the progress we’re seeing with ending veteran homelessness in Seattle/King County, including increased funding via the CARES Act, key legislation, strong partnerships, and a data informed approach that has helped us create a system that works for all.”
“King County Veterans Program highly values our partnerships with veteran-serving organizations in our area. Such partnerships have allowed us to flexibly and quickly assist veterans, leveraging different programs and funding sources, including our local Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy,” said Megan Stanley, Veterans Administrator at the King County Department of Community and Human Services. “As a result, we have seen a reduction in veteran homelessness as hundreds of veterans in our community have received permanent housing and other vital support services during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I am a Veteran of the United States Navy. I want to personally thank Torin Searson from the KCVP and Ermana Buljubasic from Sound for all the care and hard work they’ve done for me. I recently left a domestic violence situation and am facing homeless,” said Terren Casson, US Navy veteran. “Especially for the past few months my world has been turned completely upside and if it wasn’t for those two I wouldn’t be here right now. They’ve literally saved my life. These two people especially are the epitome of helping hands and if I can support the VA and their mission to help people they way they’ve supported me, I want to do everything in my power.”
Senator Murray has been a longtime advocate for Washington state veterans, most recently working to include billions of dollars in relief for veterans national assistance programs in the American Rescue Plan, including $14.5 billion for health care services, $400 million for rapid retraining assistance, and $500 million to help states upgrade State Veterans Homes across the country and $250 million in one-time emergency grants to support these facilities and ensure they can care for our veterans during the pandemic.
Senator Murray was instrumental in passing the CARES Act, which included $201.5 million for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, $88 million for the Grant and Per Diem program, and more than $13 million for State Extended Care Facilities Construction Grant Awards for veteran homes across Washington state.
Senator Murray has been a steadfast supporter of HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) vouchers, securing $50 million in the FY 2022 appropriations bill, a $10 million increase from FY 2021 funding. This federal program helps veterans across the country by providing housing vouchers that combine rental assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Since 2008, when Senator Murray helped restart HUD-VASH, the program has helped more than 130,000 veterans experiencing homelessness secure supportive housing.
For housing assistance, the SSVF can be reached at (206) 545-2344, the King County Veterans Program at (206) 263-8387, and the VA Homeless Hotline can be reached at (877) 424-3838.
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