—PROGRAMS

Support for Homeless Veterans

The American Legion provides free guidance for veterans in need.

The American Legion places special priority on the issue of veteran homelessness. With veterans making up approximately 11 percent of our nation's total adult homeless population, there's plenty of reason to give the cause special concern.

To help our struggling brothers-in-arms, the Legion works on a global level, lobbying for legislation affecting veteran homelessness, and acts on a local level, directly assisting veterans who have fallen on tough times and are without a place to live or facing the prospect of it.

This direct assistance is coordinated by the Legion's Homeless Veterans Task Force, which works to ensure local services and resources are available to homeless veterans and their families. The Task Force, which has chairpersons in each department, collaborates with government agencies, homeless service providers and veterans service organizations to develop and implement initiatives that will help homeless veterans.

Additionally, Homeless Veterans Task Force chairpersons can provide direct aid to veterans and their families who reach out to them. A veteran who is homeless or facing possible homelessness can contact a chairperson, who will provide guidance and assistance to the veteran and his or her family.

Contact Chairman Dennis Duddie d.duddie@njamericanlegion.org for more information.

Resources

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans - VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline: (877) 424-3838 or (877) 4AID VET gives homeless veterans and at-risk veterans free access to trained counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Veterans Justice Outreach Centers - Each VA Medical Center has been asked to designate a facility-based Veterans Justice Outreach Initiative specialist who is responsible for direct outreach, assessment and case management for justice-involved veterans in local courts and jails. This specialist also serves as a liaison with local justice system partners. A state-by-state list of these designees is available online.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, NCHV is the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans each year. NCHV also serves as the primary liaison between the nation’s care providers, Congress and the Executive Branch agencies charged with helping them succeed in their work. Locate a local resource.