(The Center Square) — The federal government has announced nearly $31.3 million ostensibly aimed at helping veterans find homes and preventing veteran homelessness in Georgia.
The money was announced by U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, both D-Georgia, and goes to nonprofit organizations in the state that help veterans find housing and prevent homelessness. The funding flows through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.
Funding amounts range from more than $1.8 million for the Central Savannah River Area Economic Opportunity Authority in the Augusta-Richmond County area to more than $15.6 million for Changing Homelessness in the Savannah area and parts of Florida.
“Our national honor requires that we lift up and support all who have sacrificed in America’s defense,” Ossoff said in a statement.
The funding announcement comes as the state Senate Study Committee on Veterans’ Mental Health and Housing evaluates whether Georgia’s public and private programs and services adequately provide resources to veterans.
Upwards of 70,000 American veterans are homeless, including roughly 2,000 in Georgia, retired Maj. Gen. Les Carroll, secretary of Mighty Hero Homes board, recently told committee members.
“There are many personal reasons … as to why our veterans are experiencing homelessness, a lot on the mental health side and the substance abuse challenges, but also divorce and other legal issues,” Derek Layne, executive vice president of Mighty Hero Homes and vice chairman of the group’s board, told Georgia lawmakers recently. “The ever-growing reason, as well, is the lack of affordability, and as these individuals struggle with keeping food on the table, utilities paid, it also puts a pressing need on them when they’re worried about having a roof over their head.
“Our research has led us to conclude that providing the individual small homes outside of the normal multi-unit developments will help our veterans,” Layne added. These homes are “the most cost-effective and prescriptive way to give hope and dignity to our veterans, where they can find safety and peace nightly.”
Russell Feagin, director of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, told lawmakers that “simply providing a home … does not always meet the need. Some veterans are not going to be able to live alone.”
“The signature injury of Iraq and Afghanistan is called traumatic brain injury,” Feagin told lawmakers. “It’s estimated that … 11 to 23% of veterans are suffering from traumatic brain injury.”
Feagin told lawmakers that it’s not always recognized that veterans suffer from traumatic brain injury as it has many causes, including improvised explosive device explosions and the firing of shoulder-mounted weapons.
“It’s not a single injury that causes this that you’re able to immediately say this veteran has traumatic brain injury; we need to recognize it,” Feagin told lawmakers. “So many of the veterans don’t know they have that problem. However, as a result of it, they end up with traumatic … stress disorder. They end up with depression with an increased risk of suicide.”
