The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services has announced that funding is available to temporarily house homeless veterans in need of assistance. The newly available funds will be granted based on an application process, and will be in accordance with rules established pursuant to 37-B M.R.S. §513-A, enacted by P.L. 2019, chapter 504.
According to a news release from the bureau, the Veterans’ Homelessness Prevention Coordination Program was created to provide assistance for Maine veterans experiencing homelessness or who are on the brink of homelessness, and will provide payment to human services-based volunteer organizations that provide transitional housing to homeless veterans. The bureau will not reimburse expenses accrued prior to approval of an organization’s application and will notify all approved applicants of the status of available funds regularly and upon request.
To qualify for funding, a provider must comply with the following:
1. Be a nonprofit corporation in good standing in the State of Maine and qualified for tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or be a municipal corporation;
2. Be a provider of homeless services who has been active in the state for at least (two) years providing emergency housing, street outreach, homeless prevention, or rapid re‑housing services;
3. Be a human service-based volunteer organization that has as one of their core programs addressing homelessness and veterans’ services. In compliance with 37-B M.R.S §513-A, the bureau must give priority to an organization founded, chartered or organized in the state; and
4. Have the administrative and financial management capacity necessary to administer and to account for the use of the applicable funds in accordance with the bureau’s invoicing requirements.
Applicants should carefully review the eligibility criteria outlined in the established rules to determine if their organization qualifies to apply for the program.
In addition to those established rules above, if a Maine veteran is in need of shelter in a region of the state that has no qualifying provider, the MBVS Homeless Veterans Coordination Team can work to connect the veteran with shelter and other resources.
For an application or more information, call the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services at 207-430-6035 or visit maine.gov/veterans.
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