September 2, 2020 3:40 a.m.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has announced that it will award four Per Diem only grants to community organizations in Lane and Coos counties under the Grant Per Diem program funding, to house nearly 40 veterans.

A release said the GPD program provides funding to community organizations that provide transitional housing and support services for homeless veterans, with the goal of helping them achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and income, and obtain greater self-determination.

Roseburg VA Director Keith Allen said the program “…is one component of VA’s multifaceted continuum of services and resources to help veterans exit homelessness”. He said the grants “…put us one step closer to ensuring all veterans are living in a safe and supportive environment”.

The release said the GPD program has provided veterans who are homeless with community-based transitional housing and supportive services since 1994. It said the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by 50 percent, due to the GPD program and other VA efforts.