§2034 Coordination with Other Agencies and Organizations

Summary

The Secretary must work with state and local governments, other federal agencies, and nonprofit groups to help homeless veterans. The Department may also provide its services together with those partners. Each year, the director of every VA medical center and every regional benefits office must check the needs of homeless veterans where they work. They must do this with local and federal officials and nonprofits that know about homelessness. The review must list needs in health care, education and training, jobs, shelter, counseling, and outreach. It must say how well those needs are being met by VA programs, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and nonprofits. The reviews must follow uniform rules the Secretary sets and the Secretary will include the combined results in the next annual report to Congress under section 2065. Directors must also make a list of local public and private programs and services, encourage a local coordination plan, try to meet needs using current programs and resources, and tell veterans about services they cannot get locally.