WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Jim Himes (CT-4) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) along with Senator Richard Blumenthal announced a $938,360 grant today for The Workplace in Bridgeport. The funding will be used to improve housing stability for 300 veteran families in Southwest Connecticut. This includes helping them obtain VA and other benefits, case management related to housing, and other services as necessary.
“Our nation’s veterans have given so much in defense of our nation and our freedoms and have asked for so little in return,” said Congressman Himes. “The very least we can do for our men and women in uniform is to make sure they can provide their families with a home, and I look forward to working with The WorkPlace to ensure our veterans receive the assistance they have earned.”
“The WorkPlace is honored to be chosen along with our community partners for this important program to help us meet the needs of our veterans and their families. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support our nation’s heroes.” said Joseph M. Carbone, President and CEO of The WorkPlace. “Our thanks go to Congressman Himes and the rest of the delegation for their support of this opportunity which will enable us to make a real difference for Connecticut veterans.”
“This grant will help hundreds of Connecticut Veterans and their families secure and sustain the safe and stable housing they are owed,” Blumenthal said. “A job and a dignified place to call home are a down payment on the enormous debt owed back to the brave men, women, and families who have sacrificed for us.”
“The announcement of this grant is great news for veterans across Connecticut, as well as The Workplace and Community Renewal Team, which works so hard to serve them and other struggling populations. On any given day, as many as 640 Connecticut veterans do not have a suitable place to sleep at night. That, quite simply, is 640 too many,” DeLauro said. “The brave men and women who serve our nation overseas—and their families who also sacrifice so much—deserve our admiration, our assistance and our heartfelt gratitude. When so many families are struggling, this grant will better help The Workplace and Community Renewal Team help homeless veterans and their families find the homes they deserve.”
The funding was awarded through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program, which aims to improve very low-income veteran families’ housing stability. Grantees, which include private, non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives, provide supportive services to very low-income veteran families living in or transitioning to permanent housing. According to the 2011 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, homelessness among veterans has declined 12 percent since 2010.