A Critical Need: A New Resource
transitional housing for homeless veterans

The housing and support needs of veterans in Spokane is at a critical level. The Spokane Veterans Administration service area has approximately 3,600 persons who are homeless veterans. Of these, some 1,224 are chronically homeless.* This new project fulfills a significant unmet need in Spokane by adding five beds, funded by the Veterans Administration, to the local transitional housing pool—providing significant supports to individuals who are not yet ready for long-term housing.

*CHALENG Point of Contact Survey 2005 and 2006

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, one out of every three homeless men is a veteran.

Who We Serve 
thanking our vets

Volunteers of America’s transitional living program provides support for up to five chronically homeless, single men—referred primarily from Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)—who are dealing with co-occurring issues of mental illness and substance abuse. Currently, 90% of the homeless veterans served by HCHV are dually diagnosed; 39% are substance involved and 73% have combat- or noncombat-related mental illness.

Empowering Veterans for Successful Outcomes
compassionate stabilization meets a continuum of care

Veterans served by this program will live in a newly refurbished single family unit in a residential community, with nearby access to services and other typical residential amenities.

A Volunteers of America case manager will provide supportive services, helping each veteran assess his needs, stabilize his life and set goals within basic need areas such as:

• access to education
• assistance with legal issues
• clothing & personal hygiene
• employment readiness & job placement
• financial & healthcare benefit programs
• life skills (cooking, housekeeping, laundry services, budgeting, etc.)
• mental health care
• nutritional & dietary needs
• physical health & access to health care
• spiritual & family connections
• substance abuse treatment
• transportation
• vocational or skills-building

Learn more about this program in our Summer 2008 "Working Wonders" newsletter