NEW JERSEY – In commemoration of Veterans Day, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way announced that the state is launching a far-reaching program – Bringing Veterans Home (BVH) – aimed at ending veterans homelessness within the coming two years.
The initiative will be a collaborative effort led by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA). More than $30 million in state and federal funding services and interventions over a two-year period to help place more than 1,000 homeless veterans in New Jersey in stable housing.
The Bringing Veterans Home program is the first time veteran service organizations in New Jersey will formally partner with the State in the fight against unsheltered veteran homelessness.
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“We must always take the time to express our gratitude and honor the bravery and selflessness of our veterans. The courageous men and women who have served our country should never bear the weight of homelessness. Our Administration is committed to connecting veterans with the resources they need for the housing they deserve,” said Way who was serving as Acting Governor on Veterans Day while Governor Phil Murphy was on a economic mission trip in the United Kingdom.
Office of Homelessness Prevention Director Michael Callahan said the initiative is about more than ambitious goals. It's about "providing the resources, coordination, and accountability needed to achieve them."
"The Bringing Veterans Home initiative represents New Jersey's unwavering commitment to those who have served our nation. This comprehensive initiative isn't just about providing housing – it's about fundamentally transforming how we serve veterans experiencing homelessness across our state,” said Callahan.
“By bridging jurisdictional boundaries, eliminating service gaps, and creating dedicated pathways to permanent housing, we're building a system that ensures no veteran or National Guard member in New Jersey will have to wonder where they'll sleep at night. Those who've defended our freedom deserve nothing less than our absolute best effort to ensure they have a place to call home."
BVH aims to assist and support individuals in New Jersey who are experiencing homelessness and who meet the federal and State legal definitions of “veteran.” Service members and National Guard members also will be eligible.
In early 2025, veterans and service members experiencing homelessness will be able to self-refer to the Initiative by applying with the BVH Web Referral Form, calling the State’s existing homelessness hotline (NJ 211), or visiting any housing or homelessness services provider affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, DMAVA, DCA, or a member of the state’s 16 Continuums-of-Care.
The program seeks to enhance and support the existing ecosystem of care through additional diversion, rapid rehousing, street outreach, emergency sheltering, and permanent housing voucher programs such as the State Rental Assistance Program and the federal HOME program. This will help generate the surge capacity necessary to realize an effective end to veteran homelessness within the next two years.
Outreach teams will engage directly with veterans living in encampments or unsheltered conditions who lack access to resources, transportation, or other means and facilitate direct placement to emergency and permanent housing placements without an intermediary. T
Individuals who are facing immediate risks of homelessness, should call 2-1-1 or connect with your County Board of Social Services for applicable sheltering assistance. 2-1-1 community resource specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can help clients who speak many different languages. Information provided will be kept confidential, except for information that needs to be shared with providers involved in providing shelter or shelter-related services.