Statement of Linda Boone, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, before the Subcommittee on Benefits of the Committee on Veterans Affairs United States House of Representatives. The Honorable Jack Quinn, Chairman. Washington, DC.

Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), I thank you for the opportunity to present our views here today. On any given night there are the equivalent of 17 infantry divisions on the streets of this great nation with no place to call home. That is approximately 275,000 men and women who have worn this country’s uniforms, been trained at great expense in many of the most advanced technical skills, stood guard over all that we hold sacred and dear, and in some cases, incurred physical and psychological injuries.

We have all heard the stories of their descent into homelessness. In many cases, the reasons could befall any of us, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, prolonged medical disability and a variety of other triggering events.. Some have problems associated with their military experience, the lack of transferable skills to the civilian labor market, PTSD, the difficulty of transitioning from military to civilian life.

No matter what caused their homelessness, these veterans are usually highly skilled, intelligent, motivated men and women who could be an asset to any business organization. Without a home, even a mailing address, a telephone, a place to dress and shower how can they hope to find and keep a good job?

Fortunately there are organizations dedicated to helping veterans break the cycle of homelessness and hopelessness. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) is a coalition of community based service providers in 43 states and the District of Columbia dedicated to ending homelessness among veterans.

Work is the key to helping homeless veterans rejoin American society. As important as quality clinical care, other supportive services, and transitional housing may be, the fact remains that helping veterans get and keep a job is the most essential element in their recovery and reintegration.

The Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) under reauthorization consideration in HR1484, is a job placement program begun in 1989 to provide grants to community-based organizations that employ flexible and innovative approaches to assist homeless, unemployed veterans reenter the workforce. Local programs offer employment and job-readiness services to place these veterans directly into paying jobs. HVRP provides the key element often missing from most homeless programming, job placement.

Through HVRP funds veterans gain access to civilian assistance, ex-military benefits and entitlements, education and training opportunities, legal assistance, whatever is needed to begin the rebuilding process towards employment.

HVRP programs work with veterans who have special needs and are shunned by other programs and services, veterans who have hit the very bottom, including those with long histories of substance abuse, severe PTSD, serious social problems, those who have legal issues, and those who are HIV positive. These veterans require more time consuming, specialized, intensive assessment, referrals, and counseling than is possible in other programs that work with other veterans seeking employment.

How did these veterans get to be unemployed and homeless? Each veteran has their own story, but we know that when they are not working they lose their self-respect, which can lead to substance abuse, legal problems, relationship issues. The decline continues until the formerly proud veteran has nothing and is on the street with so many barriers to employment that there is no clear beginning point for the road back.

When homeless veterans connect to an HVRP grant organization their common background serves as a unifying factor as they begin to reconstruct their lives. Recognition of this unity is a key to their individual success. Just as 10 weeks of Boot Camp brings together recruits from all races, cultures, and backgrounds and melds them into a cohesive group who talk the talk and walk the walk, and work as a team with a unified sense of purpose, homeless veteran providers reach out to end the isolation of homeless veterans, bringing them together again into a diverse group working toward a common task…finding a job, securing the job, and keeping the job.

HVRP success stories are many and varied and here are just a few we would like to share:

• US Army Airborne trooper spent 25 years on the street with alcohol addiction was able to spend 10 weeks in a program that led to full-time employment.
• Marine female minority veteran who left an abusive marriage, reunited with her children, obtained housing and a full time job to support her family.
• A veteran and his wife living in their car had legal problems preventing him from taking home a paycheck was able to receive legal assistance and a job that paid $12.55 hour plus benefits and permanent housing.
• Formerly incarcerated veteran with addiction issues was placed in supportive transitional housing, provided with job search assistance including clothing, interviewing skills, and resume writing. He obtained an $11.15 per hour job but also needed the tools and transportation to the job site. The HVRP funds provided this help. This veteran has now graduated form the HVRP program and is making $18.75 per hour.
• Female Vietnam veteran was living in her car with a teenage daughter. The veteran had good job skills and work history but had only held low paying jobs. She lost her job and was unable to maintain a household as a single parent and became dependent on AFDC. With assistance she obtained a $20,000 a year position and was referred to a credit service to help with past debt and a current budget.
• Vietnam combat veteran with severe PTSD that had caused him to be long term unemployed. With proper counseling and assistance with employment he has obtained full time employment and feels a renewed pride in himself.
• Female veteran was living in her car after being kicked out by her family. Through an HVRP provider she was able to find housing, counseling and assistance in relating her military experience into the civilian world. She now has a job as a procurement supervisor making over $31,000.
• A veteran, his wife and four small children had been living in the woods in a tent after eviction. He was able to find a job and housing working through an HVRP grantee.

The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) is virtually the only program that focuses on employment of veterans who are homeless. Since other sources of funding that should be available to our member organizations to fund activities that result in gainful employment are not generally available, HVRP takes on an importance far beyond the very small dollar amounts involved.

The keys to veterans’ success are: finding stable housing or shelter; having a place to go where they feel comfortable and can enhance their self-esteem; and, being allowed the opportunity to pursue and be supported in their efforts for seeking employment. Service providers are committed to helping veterans overcome past failed attempts in employment. When veterans recognize the benefits and are motivated, they can be successful in obtaining employment and become a productive member of the community.

Mr. Chairman, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) urges you and your colleagues to authorize an amount of $50 Million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) for the years 2000-2004.

The problem is that the state and local agencies that distribute Federal resources for employment, training, and other vital services feel that "veterans are a Federal problem." Unless veterans are specifically and explicitly "written in" to laws, regulations, and appropriations by the Congress, then veterans will be explicitly "read out" of any program at the state and local level. As just one example, in program year 1995, only 2,052 homeless veterans received services from the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Title II-A and Title III, out of the many tens of millions of dollars provided. This makes it all the more important for this small program to be authorized and funded at the modest $50 million.

HVRP is an extraordinarily cost efficient program, with a cost per placement of about $1,250 per veteran entering employment for the years 1989-1995. This is less than 25% of the cost of JTPA programs, which do not meet the special needs of homeless veterans, even in the rare instances where homeless veterans can secure such services. In at least some measure this is because HVRP is primarily a placement program and not a lengthy training program. HVRP is a very inexpensive and extraordinarily cost effective program in comparison to all of the JTPA programs.

Due to the very small appropriations for this program, $3 million for the past two years, only twenty-two programs in eleven states have received grants. For FY2000 the President’s budget is only asking for $5 million to be appropriated. The Department of Labor estimates being able to place approximately 3,500 veterans in unsubsidized jobs with this $5 million for about $1430 per placement cost, still significantly lower than most job placement programs.

This program has suffered since its inception because it is small and an easy target for elimination or reduced appropriations. Our coalition has spent the majority of its advocacy efforts in the past five years in keeping this program alive because it has been so vital in ending homelessness among veterans.

While we believe that the Congress never intended to "write veterans out" of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) general titles, the fact remains that until recently there have been virtually no veteran specific or homeless veterans’ specific projects funded by JTPA entities at the state or local level. Recently, two discretionary grants were given from JTPA for homeless veterans in Buffalo, NY and Springfield, Massachusetts for a total of about $200,000.

Mr. Chairman, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) urges this committee to continue to exercise its leadership as veteran advocates, by ensuring that as many veterans as possible receive the help needed to return to productive roles in American society, and get back on the tax rolls as full participating members of our society. NCHV urges authorization of $50 Million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) for each year 2000-2004 an investment program for veterans.

The alternatives to getting these homeless veterans back to work are to have them continue to rotate through programs that don’t provide an employment component, long term hospitalizations due to declining health caused by homelessness, to be a burden to states welfare programs, and finally to death on our streets.

$50 million is only $100 for each of the 500,000 veterans that the VA estimates are homeless at some point during the year.

NCHV thanks you for your consideration of the vital employment and training needs of our Nation's veterans who are homeless.

Linda Boone, Executive Director, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans took over the management of this national organization in April 1996. Although she is a native of Oregon, she came to DC after two years in Little Rock, Arkansas as executive director of a statewide association of nonprofits.

Linda’s efforts for veterans’ issues started in 1969 as a volunteer in her local community. In 1990 she became aware of the growing crisis of homeless veterans and began her advocacy for these veterans. In September 1993 Linda completed a year as National President of the one million member American Legion Auxiliary.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans was founded in 1990 by a group of veteran service providers when they became frustrated with the growing numbers of homeless veterans that were coming into their facilities and the lack of resources to adequately provide services.

The organization opened a Washington, DC office in 1993 to raise the homeless veteran issue at a national level to obtain resources to resolve issue. It is a nonprofit 501c3, membership organization. Funding is from donations, grants and membership fees.

The current mission of NCHV is to champion the quality of life for homeless veterans by shaping public policy, educating the public, and building the capacity of service providers to meet the needs of homeless veterans.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans received $36, 016 Federal funding in FY99 (Oct. 1, 1998- Sept. 30, 1999) to provide targeted marketing for the Work Opportunity Tax Credits.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans received $60,000 Federal funding in FY98 (Oct. 1, 1997- Sept. 30, 1998) to provide targeted marketing for the Work Opportunity Tax Credits.

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