§2034 — Title 38 Veterans' Benefits | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary must work with state and local governments, other federal agencies, and nonprofit groups to help homeless veterans and can give VA services together with them. Each VA medical center director and each regional benefits office director must do an annual review of homeless veterans’ needs in their area with those local and federal partners and community groups that know about homelessness. The review must list needs for health care, education and training, jobs, housing, counseling, and outreach, and say how well those needs are being met by VA, other governments, and community programs. The review must follow standard procedures the Secretary sets, and the Secretary will include the results in the next annual report to Congress under section 2065. Directors must also list local public and private programs and their services, encourage a plan to coordinate those programs, try to meet needs with existing programs and resources, and tell veterans about other services when they cannot help.

Title 38, §2034

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In assisting homeless veterans, the Secretary shall coordinate with, and may provide services authorized under this title in conjunction with, State and local governments, other appropriate departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and nongovernmental organizations.

(b)(1)The Secretary shall require the director of each medical center or the director of each regional benefits office to make an annual assessment of the needs of homeless veterans living within the area served by the medical center or regional office, as the case may be.

(2)Each such assessment shall be made in coordination with representatives of State and local governments, other appropriate departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and nongovernmental organizations that have experience working with homeless persons in that area.

(3)Each such assessment shall identify the needs of homeless veterans with respect to the following:

(A)Health care.

(B)Education and training.

(C)Employment.

(D)Shelter.

(E)Counseling.

(F)Outreach services.

(4)Each assessment shall also indicate the extent to which the needs referred to in paragraph (3) are being met adequately by the programs of the Department, of other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, of State and local governments, and of nongovernmental organizations.

(5)Each assessment shall be carried out in accordance with uniform procedures and guidelines prescribed by the Secretary.

(6)The Secretary shall review each annual assessment under this subsection and shall consolidate the findings and conclusions of each such assessment into the next annual report submitted to Congress under section 2065 of this title.

(c)In furtherance of subsection (a), the Secretary shall require the director of each medical center and the director of each regional benefits office, in coordination with representatives of State and local governments, other Federal officials, and nongovernmental organizations that have experience working with homeless persons in the areas served by such facility or office, to—

(1)develop a list of all public and private programs that provide assistance to homeless persons or homeless veterans in the area concerned, together with a description of the services offered by those programs;

(2)seek to encourage the development by the representatives of such entities, in coordination with the director, of a plan to coordinate among such public and private programs the provision of services to homeless veterans;

(3)take appropriate action to meet, to the maximum extent practicable through existing programs and available resources, the needs of homeless veterans that are identified in the assessment conducted under subsection (b); and

(4)attempt to inform homeless veterans whose needs the director cannot meet under paragraph (3) of the services available to such veterans within the area served by such center or office.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2001—Pub. L. 107–95, § 5(b)(1), renumbered section 1774 of this title as this section. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107–95, § 6(b)(1), inserted “annual” after “to make an”. Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 107–95, § 6(b)(2), added par. (6).

§2034 Coordination with Other Agencies and Organizations

Summary

Title 38, §2034

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata