Dec 14, 2013 6 min read

Homeless veterans and their families in Washington and Greene counties have an ally in Veterans Leadership Program, a South Side-based, top-rated, nonprofit organization that serves veterans in 18 counties in Western Pennsylvania.

The agency provides housing and employment programs for veterans, and is looking to expand services in Washington and Greene counties.

That’s welcome news to area veterans, since there are few services in Washington County designed specifically for homeless veterans; instead, they are referred to the Pittsburgh Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Leadership Program.

One of VLP’s top programs is the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), which is funded by a $1.8 million federal grant.

According to Jesse Rodriguez, director of operations for Veterans Leadership Program, the grant enables the organization to give money to veterans to help with short-term housing needs.

“We can provide limited short-term rental assistance, help someone get caught up on past-due rent or help pay for a security deposit,” said Rodriguez. “It’s an important part of getting veterans on their feet.”

Last year, the program provided assistance to 390 veterans across 14 counties, including Washington, and expanded to include Greene County this year.

Rodriguez said the grant will help an estimated 550 veterans and their family members who are homeless or at risk of being homeless this year.

Among those who received assistance from the SSVF last year were a Washington County veteran (his name was not disclosed) and his family, who were given a month’s notice to move after their apartment was sold. The soldier had recently lost his job and had just started a new one, leaving the family short of funds. Veterans Leadership Program helped the former soldier enroll in the SSVF, which enabled the family to pay the security deposit and the first two months’ rent in a new three-bedroom home.

Stories like his are common at VLP.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2012 assessment on homelessness concluded that more than 62,600 veterans are homeless on any given night. Based on the HUD report, Veterans Leadership Program estimates there are about 200 homeless veterans in Washington County. Greene County has about 60 veterans who are homeless or at risk for being homeless.

In 2009, President Barack Obama and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced a goal to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015, and Rodriguez said VLP’s programs are designed to meet that goal.

Over the past four years, the number of veterans who are homeless has dropped by 17.2 percent. The decline is significant, but much work remains.

In particular, the number of women needing help is projected to increase as more women join the military and become veterans, said Michele Margittai, director of development and marketing for Veterans Leadership Program.

To address that issue, VLP launched Project Journey, funded through the Allegheny County United Way to provide short-term shelter for female veterans (with or without children) in Western Pennsylvania.

Veterans Leadership Program operates four houses that are available as temporary housing for female veterans, who often are uncomfortable asking for help. The apartments are in East Liberty, Millvale, South Side and Swissvale.

Many short-term shelters have age limits for children, so families of veterans face the possibility of being split up. Project Journey provides housing for approximately 45 days, and during that time a veterans coordinator works with the women to find permanent housing and full-time employment.

“We’re doing this as a pilot project with United Way, and we’re having tremendous results. It’s something that we’d like to expand, and do this in Washington and Greene counties where there are similar issues,” said Margittai. “One of the keys is helping with employment. We know we’re not solving the problem if we’re not helping with employment. When you’re staying in an extended-stay hotel without laundry and a kitchen, you’re still in crisis mode. If we put a family in a hotel, all we’re doing is pushing the crisis back another 10 days. In 10 days, they’re going to be homeless again. We need solutions, and Project Journey is a solution.”

Another goal of VLP is to link veterans with employers and to train veterans for jobs that are in high demand in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Veterans who struggle to find work may have an easier time landing a job under new federal regulations that require most government contractors to have veterans make up 8 percent of their work force, Rodriguez said.

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the jobless rate for all veterans is 7.3 percent, but for veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, it’s 9.9 percent.

“Our phones are ringing off the hook as companies are looking to hire veterans,” said Margittai, who pointed out there are reasons beyond patriotism to hire veterans. “Hiring a vet makes good business sense. Veterans are really good workers. They have discipline, leadership and integrity, qualities that are ingrained in many of our veterans. And studies show veterans progress quickly when it comes to advancing in companies. They excel in areas like customer service and performance. This is not charity. This makes sense.”

VLP has been working with Washington County businesses to hire veterans, but Margittai did not disclose the companies that employ former members of the military.

Providing jobs and training for veterans is important because Pennsylvania is home to the fourth-highest number of veterans in the United States, and has the eighth-highest population of female veterans. In 2012, Forbes magazine selected Pittsburgh as the best place for veterans to live.

“The easiest way to reduce reintegration issues is to get veterans employed quickly. If we don’t employ them quickly, then that is when issues are magnified,” said Margittai.

In Washington County, the City Mission has taken steps to address homeless veterans.

In 2012, the mission served 75 homeless vets – a number that has more than doubled in the past four years – and the mission is in the early stages of opening a 16-bed shelter for homeless veterans in a duplex adjacent to its administration office in Washington.

Veterans Leadership Program is working to either rent office space in Washington and Greene counties or work in conjunction with a local community action agency so that a VLP representative will be available a couple of days a week to address the needs of local homeless and at-risk veterans.

“Sometimes, so many people want to help, but people are so busy helping and there’s no coordinated approach. We want to make sure we use our services wisely,” said Margittai. “We’re excited about partnering with agencies in Washington and Greene counties. We don’t want to be everything to everyone. That won’t work. Our model is based on collaborating with local nonprofit agencies to better reach the people who need our help.”

To contact the Veterans Leadership Program, call the Pittsburgh office at 412-481-8200.