Services for Homeless Veterans with Children

November 2, 2005

Speaker: Jeremy Rosen, Volunteers of America

Food Stamps – these are administered on the state level through the same agency that distributes the Medicaid and TANF benefits.

Important Facts about Food Stamps:

Families are eligible regardless of whether they are disabled or not.

The benefits are received each month via EFT (electric funds transfer).

Food stamps are not time limited – an individual can receive them consistently.

There is a broad application on what individuals can use the funds for. In some cases shelters can be reimbursed for the food they may be giving their clients.

Individuals do not need to have a kitchen/stove to be eligible – food stamps can be used to supplement the food given to a family in a shelter.

Some local food stamp offices have agreements with some fast food chains, such as Subway, to use their benefits there.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families):

Often commonly referred to as Welfare assistance. It is a monthly cash payment to families with children. For the most part, families are unable to maintain housing with this small monthly payment.

The state is able to also provide a wide range of social services besides just monthly payments. This can include job training, schooling, transportation, uniforms, etc. In most cases the extra services are one of the main benefits of the program.

There is a time limit of 5 years in a lifetime base on cash payments made monthly.

Medicaid:

A family becomes eligible when they have children regardless of disability status.

Higher income groups who are not eligible for other services may qualify for Medicaid for their children.

Each of these programs, Food Stamps, TANF and Medicaid, have different eligibility requirements for immigrants. In all cases legal children are eligible regardless of their parents’ status, and the parents can apply for the services without having to verify their immigration status.

Speaker: Barbara Duffield – National Association of Education of Children and Youth

The Department of Education’s definition of homeless is broader, it includes doubled-up families and people living in hotel/motels when there are not enough shelter beds.

The McKinney Vento Act Subtitle B – covers all school districts throughout the country. It stipulates that each district must have a liaison for homeless children. This is not always a funded position and the responsibilities may fall under another position. Each State Department of Education has a list of state contacts on their website.

Rights of Students

The emphasis is put on school stability – children have the right to continue enrollment in the school of origin or school of registration. The focus should be put on each individual child. There is a set of criteria put out by the Department of Education – which puts the best interest of the child first. The legislation also states that the school must provide transportation to and from school of origin as long as it is within the school district limits. The school must also enroll the students immediately regardless of the records. It is also the schools’ responsibility to get the records/immunizations. All of the services offered to the students must be comparable regardless of homeless or non-homeless status.

Free and reduced school meals-If a student is homeless they do not have to fill out an application. The process is expedited and good for one academic year. One important thing to remember is that McKinney Vento does not apply to young/pre-school children. Head Start has guidance regarding homeless children but there is not current law.

Speaker: Jim Howat – Volunteers of America Los Angeles

Volunteers of America LA has a 500-unit house project where 2 units are specifically allocated for families. In most cases this is males with children. Rent is paid for by the per diem and other mainstream programs offered to the veteran and their family. Each veteran is provided with case management with HVRP. The biggest population that has been effected has been males with children. In most cases there are just not any programs available for males.

So far the program has been able to transfer 4 families into permanent housing. The average rent for a one bedroom is around $1300. VOA is able to help veterans save money so they are able to afford such high rent payments. They also have the capacity to expand their services as need be based on the large size of their housing units.