VA Pledges $100 Million To Help Homeless Veterans

WASHINGTON, Jul 17, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the award of nearly $100 million in grants that will help approximately 42,000 homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families. The grants are going to 151 community agencies in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

"We are committed to ending Veteran homelessness in America," said Shinseki. "These grants will help VA and community organizations reach out and prevent at-risk Veterans from losing their homes."

Under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, VA is awarding grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide services to very low-income Veteran families living in -- or transitioning to -- permanent housing. Those community organizations provide a range of services that promote housing stability among eligible very low income Veteran families.

Under the grants, homeless providers will offer Veterans and their family members outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and assistance in getting other public benefits. Community-based groups can offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of Veterans for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and moving costs.

This is the program's second year. Last year, VA provided about $60 million to assist 22,000 Veterans and family members.

In 2009, President Obama and Secretary Shinseki announced the federal government's goal to end Veteran homelessness by 2015. The grants are intended to help accomplish that goal. According to the 2011 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, homelessness among Veterans has declined 12 percent since January 2010.

Through the homeless Veterans initiative, VA committed $800 million in FY 2011 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans. VA provides a range of services to homeless Veterans, including health care, housing, job training, and education.

More information about VA's homeless programs is available on the Internet at www.va.gov/homeless . Details about the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program are online at www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp .

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

        
        U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 
        Office of Public Affairs 
        Media Relations 
        202-461-7600
        

---- Jerald Terwilliger Past Chairman American Cold War Veterans "We Remember" ---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996

Asbestos Exposure among U.S. Veterans and the Health Effects

When veterans return home from active service back to the country they served so diligently, they seldom think that the dangers they encountered while on active duty will still put them at risk. A very real danger that many veterans are unaware of is asbestos exposure.

Asbestos can withstand heat, chemical corrosion and is a poor conductor of electricity. For this reason, it was used in military insulation, fire proofing and in vehicle and weapon parts. However, when asbestos is damaged or disturbed, inhaled or ingested fibers can cause severe illnesses including deadly cancers.

This toxic material was found in abundance on Army proving grounds, Navy battleships and in military bases all over the world. Veterans of several wars including the Vietnam War, Korean War and especially World War II were all exposed to asbestos regularly. During the Cold War, rearmament asbestos use reached 1,800 million pounds annually and its use did not decrease until after the 1970s, endangering Cold War veterans.

Navy veterans and shipyard workers were at the highest risk for asbestos exposure. In World War II alone, 5,000 merchant vessels were produced in American shipyards and in 1943 the U.S. Navy launched 30,000 warships. Boilers and water pipes aboard these ships were insulated with asbestos. The paint on these vessels also used asbestos. Many of these ships remained in use well beyond the 1970s.

Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure

After asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. The most deadly of these is mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma tumors grow in the linings of internal organs. Most mesothelioma sufferers have pleural mesothelioma, and it affects the lining of the lungs. The symptoms of this disease include chest pain, difficulty breathing, persistent dry cough, excessive fluid in the lungs and unexplained weight loss.

The symptoms of this disease often take 10 to 50 years from the date of initial exposure to surface, and by the time it is diagnosed the tumor is usually in later stages. Usually, the earlier mesothelioma is diagnosed, the better the treatment options and prognosis. Veterans can contact their local VA center for asbestos disease health screenings.

Bio: Michelle Y. Llamas researches and writes about asbestos and its related diseases for the Mesothelioma Center.

Sources:

Hedley – Whyte, J. & Milamed, D. R. (2008) Asbestos and ship-building: Fatal consequences. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2604477/

---- Jerald Terwilliger National Chairman American Cold War Veterans "We Remember" ---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996