By Vanguard Staff
PALO ALTO, CA – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced this week it is awarding $164,068,809 in grants to 27 organizations across California to support veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The grants, awarded through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, will fund housing assistance, health care, financial planning, childcare, legal services, and transportation.
The organizations in California receiving grants are:
- Village for Vets receiving $4,784,021
- Nation’s Finest receiving $22,942,240
- National Community Health Partners receiving $2,397,645
- Goodwill of Silicon Valley receiving $892,981
- SHELTER, Inc. receiving $1,524,158
- Volunteers of America of Greater Sacramento and Northern Nevada, Inc. receiving $3,862,449
- Housing Matters receiving $981,548
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton receiving $1,039,691
- United States Veterans Initiative receiving $5,687,730
- WestCare California, Inc. receiving $8,095,218
- Swords To Plowshares Veterans Rights Organization receiving $11,271,944
- Homefirst Services Of Santa Clara County receiving $4,511,195
- Insight Housing receiving $12,165,443
- JVS SoCal receiving $3,675,000
- California Veterans Assistance Foundation, Inc. receiving $1,415,768
- United States Veterans Initiative receiving $12,816,401
- LightHouse Social Service Centers receiving $2,236,113
- Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. receiving $2,140,134
- Mental Health America of Los Angeles receiving $9,884,679
- PATH receiving $13,222,907
- Vietnam Veterans Of San Diego receiving $5,857,724
- The Salvation Army receiving $7,567,374
- 1736 Family Crisis Center receiving $2,006,831
- Good Samaritan Shelter receiving $1,808,977
- Adjoin receiving $10,357,322
- New Beginnings receiving $2,297,371
- Volunteers of America of Los Angeles receiving $14,313,675
“Supportive services like childcare, housing counseling and financial planning can be important catalysts for preventing or resolving homelessness,” said Ada Clarke, Director of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 21. “These grants will help bring crucial support to thousands of Veterans in need across the nation.”
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families program provides case management and supportive services aimed at preventing the imminent loss of a veteran’s home, identifying new housing opportunities, and rapidly rehousing veterans and their families who might otherwise remain homeless without assistance.
The VA said awards are based on factors such as grant recipients’ experience, past performance in providing services, and the level of need in the communities where the programs operate.
The $164 million for California is part of $818 million in nationwide funding awarded through the program.
The department also highlighted broader progress during the second Trump administration. Officials said the backlog of veterans waiting for benefits has dropped more than 45 percent since Jan. 20, 2025. They reported opening 17 new health care clinics, investing an additional $800 million in infrastructure improvements, and offering nearly 1 million health care appointments outside of normal operating hours.
The VA said it is processing a record number of disability claims, reaching an all-time high of 2.52 million ratings claims for fiscal year 2025 as of Aug. 8. Veterans have gained easier access to non-VA care at the department’s expense, and reforms have simplified benefit access for survivors.
Officials noted that the VA is accelerating deployment of its integrated electronic health record system and has partnered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to recover $106 million in duplicate billing.
The department also reported that it has returned tens of thousands of employees to in-person work to improve coordination.
Through June 2025, the VA said it has housed 37,534 homeless veterans nationwide.
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