SSVF is a Rapid Re-Housing and Homelessness Prevention program for Veterans and their families. We work with households who are experiencing literal homelessness, or those at imminent risk of homelessness, to help them obtain and maintain housing, with the goal of long-term housing stability. Veterans define their own household; however, the Veteran must be living in the household and must be either the head of household or the spouse of the head of household. That is, if the Veteran is the head of household, then the Veteran and his/her partner are not required to be married; however, if the Veteran is not the head of household, then the Veteran must be married to the head of household. A Veteran living alone is also considered a Veteran household. Unfortunately, we are not able to serve widows/widowers of Veterans.
SSVF’s definition of an eligible Veteran is more broad than most VA programs, which means we are able to serve many Veterans who cannot get services through the VA. To be considered an eligible Veteran for SSVF, one must have served at least one day in the active military, naval, or air service and been released or discharged under any conditions other than a dishonorable discharge or by reason of the sentence of a general court-martial.
SSVF is a short-term intervention. It is not intended to provide long-term financial assistance. We work with our clients to develop a housing stability plan that gives them a path forward to achieve long-term self-sufficiency. Compliance with the housing stability plan and case management is a requirement of participation in SSVF. Financial assistance may be available but is not guaranteed. Financial assistance may include expenses such as security deposit, utility deposits, rental assistance, utility assistance, and certain other expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining housing. Financial assistance is provided only as necessary to obtain/maintain housing and depends on eligibility, funding availability, and program compliance.
In addition to housing search and placement, SSVF can also assist clients in obtaining healthcare through our Healthcare Navigator service and in addressing certain legal issues through our Legal Services partnership with Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, SSVF seeks to understand clients’ needs holistically and provide services and/or referrals to address all threats to housing stability.
We also have a new service called Shallow Subsidy that can provide a lower level of rental assistance for up to two years. This program is intended for those clients who have obtained housing and resolved most of their case management needs, but fall a bit short financially. Under traditional SSVF, income eligibility restrictions and limits on the amount of rental assistance clients can receive often mean that cases must be closed before the client is on solid financial ground. Any financial hiccup can jeopardize their housing. With Shallow Subsidy, these clients will have two years to increase their income and/or decrease their monthly expenses so that they will be financially independent. Shallow Subsidy is not for everyone and is not automatic or guaranteed. Program compliance is mandatory to be considered for Shallow Subsidy, and the client’s financial situation must warrant the service. There must be a plan for the client to achieve full financial independence. Case management needs should either be resolved or have services in place to address ongoing needs.
St. Francis House’s SSVF program serves all 75 counties in Arkansas. In addition to our main office at St. Francis, we have satellite offices in Fayetteville and Jonesboro. Our website ssvfarkansas.org lists coverage areas and contact information for all of our offices. The site also features an FAQ page and a Get Help contact form.