Help For Formerly Incarcerated Vets

DOL-VETS Announces $1.6 Million to Help Formerly Incarcerated Vets Return to Work, Avoid Homelessness

Sept. 23, 2015

WASHINGTON — Supporting the president's goal to eliminate homelessness among U.S. military veterans, the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced the award of $1.5 million in grants to help once-incarcerated veterans considered "at-risk" of becoming homeless. In all, seven grants will serve more than 650 formerly incarcerated veterans in six states.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, especially the men and women who have sacrificed for our country," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "The Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program (IVTP) opens doors for veterans who may have struggled but who want to return to America's workforce. Today's grants will help these veterans become valuable contributors to the nation's economic recovery and our society."

The Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program grants will provide referral and counseling services to assist in reintegrating and/or transitioning formerly incarcerated veterans considered "at-risk" of becoming homeless to meaningful employment. The funds will also support the development of methods to address the complex problems facing these veterans. The program's design is flexible, to enable it to address national, regional and/or local issues that prevent once-incarcerated veterans from returning to the workforce.

The grant recipients and award amounts are as follows:

• Veterans Multi-Service Center | Philadelphia, Pa. | $223,937
• Goodwill Industries of Houston | Houston, Texas | $300,000
• Volunteers of America of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, Calif. | $300,000
• Impact Services Corporation | Philadelphia, Pa. | $300,000
• United States Veterans Initiative | Las Vegas, Nev. | $110,000
• The Workplace Inc. | Bridgeport, Conn. | $129,565
• Aletheia House, Inc. | Birmingham, Ala. | $160,704

For more information on these grants, visit http://www.dol.gov/vets/.