While it has been a pain being shuffled around, it does show how each cog in the wheel of New York City Homeless Services works around the clock 24/7 to provide a warm meal, a change of clothes, and a safe space for those suffering homelessness from mental illness, criminal history, loss of income, or any number of other factors that render 40,000 veterans on American streets on any given night. There are approximately 240 veterans at this facility alone, so each agency doing its part to keep the services and resources moving along is a key to success for Shelter Services, but more importantly for the at-risk veteran. It is an efficient process of transitioning the veteran experiencing homelessness into a safe environment and on the road to success.
This policy of transitioning also allows the veteran to return to the shelter at any time and only need to be reinstated in the program and assigned a bed. For those veterans that are eligible for VA Benefits, the same rules apply to the Grant Per Diem program of three stays in their lifetime. But for the veteran struggling with addiction and mental health issues they are able to come and go as they please. For the veteran that has to leave for family matters and/or employment, the veteran can return to the program at any time. Depending on eligibility, VA Benefits are either reinstated or continued as what has happened with me since returning from Arizona to tie up loose ends there. After being reinstated into BAVR and assigned a bed in one of the open bays, I will next assigned a cubicle and continue the HUD/VASH program where we left off before going to Phoenix.
