For veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, finding safe housing is the highest priority. 

But help provided through the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP) Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program often goes beyond this immediate need for housing. Funded by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), SSVF helps veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness connect with stable housing. 

GLCAP’s SSVF program serves a 10-county region that includes Erie, Hancock, Huron, Lorain, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot County. In 2024, SSVF assisted 249 veteran households, helping families move from homelessness into housing. The program covers deposit, moving expenses, and other costs for veterans in need of housing support. 

“We are able to do a lot of amazing things such as providing housing kits, food kits, beds, and more to help veterans who are experiencing homelessness,” GLCAP Housing Programs Coordinator Niki Brough said.

Oftentimes, SSVF services for veterans extend beyond help with housing needs, Brough said.

“Helping with housing is a first step, but there is also so much support out there that veterans might not know about,” she said. “Connecting them to veterans offices in their county and/or the Veterans Administration, helping with obtaining healthcare or housing vouchers, connecting with support for disabilities—these are all the types of support we may be able to provide through SSVF.”

More information on GLCAP’s SSVF program is available by calling 800-775-9767 or visiting www.glcap.org/veterans.