VA awards $35.2 million to fight veteran homelessness in Ohio

The Department of Veterans Affairs this week awarded $35,195,123 in grants to 27 community organizations to help veterans in Fiscal Year 2027 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Ohio.

The funding is part of $1.17 billion in grants awarded to 680 organizations across the country to fight veteran homelessness. The grants follow the VA’s housing 51,936 homeless veterans in Fiscal Year 2025.

Grants and awards

Support Services for Veteran Families – Resource and supportive services grants will be distributed through the agency’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program to prevent the imminent loss of a home; identify new, more suitable housing situations for veterans and families; and rapidly re-house veterans and their families who are homeless and might remain homeless without assistance.

Regional recipients

• Ohio: Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons, Inc. dba FrontLine Service; Licking County Coalition For Housing; Axess Family Services, Inc.; Community Action Agency of Columbiana County, Inc.; Community Action Program Corporation of Washington-Morgan Counties; Community Support Services, Inc.; and the Salvation Army, Inc.
• Pennsylvania: Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.; VA Capitol Health Care Network; Lawrence County Social Services, Inc.; and Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania, Inc.

Grant and Per Diem Program – Funds for transitional housing and intensive supportive services will be distributed through the agency’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program to fund transitional housing with supportive services or service centers; support transition-in-place housing, where veterans remain in their current housing unit while receiving services to help them move toward permanent, stable housing; and provide special housing designed to better serve women veterans and those who are chronically mentally ill, frail or older.

Regional recipients

• Cleveland: Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, 31 veteran beds; Stella Maris, Inc., 8 veteran beds; Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio, Inc., 48 veteran beds; West Side Catholic Center, 7 veteran beds, 3 minor dependents; Young Men’s Christian Association of Cleveland Ohio, Inc. 10 veteran beds.
• Lorain: Axess Family Services, Inc.: 114 veteran beds; 10 minor dependents.
• Butler: Center For Community Resources Incorporated: 6 veteran beds; 6 minor-dependents beds; The Housing Authority of the County of Butler: 10 veteran beds; Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.: 7 veteran beds.
• Erie: Erie United Methodist Alliance: 19 veteran beds; Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.: 10 veteran beds.
• Farrell: Mercer County Housing Authority: 6 veteran beds.
• Pittsburgh: Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship and Ministries: 12 veteran beds; Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Inc.: 25 veteran beds; Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, Inc.: 1,600 service center visit;  Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, Inc.: 56 veteran beds.

“VA medical centers across Ohio remain committed to ensuring veterans have access to safe, stable housing and the supportive services they need to thrive,” said Katina Stone-Jones, acting executive director of VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System. “These grants strengthen our partnerships with community organizations and help us reach veterans where they are, providing resources that make a meaningful difference in their lives.”

How to contact the VA for help

If you are a veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance. The call is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained professionals are standing by to connect you to your nearest VA for help. Chat with a live professional now.

About the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System: The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center operates as the hub of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and provides comprehensive healthcare and social services to veterans across 21 counties in Northeast Ohio.

Editor’s note: The article includes regional grant and award recipients. See Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Grant and Per Diem links for complete listings.