Operation Sacred Trust
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Operation Sacred Trust, OST, is an initiative funded since 2011 by an annual $1 million grant from the U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs, Supportive Services for Veteran Families program to end homelessness for veteran families in Broward County, Florida and Miami-Dade County, Florida.
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The program provides eligible veteran families with outreach, case management, and assistance in obtaining VA and other benefits, such as:
- Health care services
- Daily living services
- Personal financial planning services
- Transportation services
- Fiduciary and payee services
- Housing counseling services
- Time-limited payments to third parties (e.g., landlords, utility companies, moving companies, and licensed child care providers)
A unique aspect of the South Florida program is the integration of resiliency training, which incorporates relationship education skills developed by PAIRS Foundation into efforts to help end and PReVENT homelessness for veteran families.
Two November 11, 2012 articles featured Operation Sacred Trust as a new model for ending homelessness for veterans. On November 12, 2012, CBS Miami featured Operation Sacred Trust on the Evening News.
Partner Agencies
Operation Sacred Trust is a collaboration of service providers with "aligned missions who have come together to bring their unique experiences and expertise to serve 1,000 homeless and low-income Veteran and their family members in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, located in the heart of South Florida." The four OST partners, Carrfour Supportive Housing, PAIRS Foundation, Henderson Behavioral Health, and Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida, have combined experience of more than 100 years in the South Florida community serving homeless and other at-risk populations.
Funding
Funding for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program was provided by the 111th United States Congress through implementation of the provisions of section 604 of the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008, as published in the Federal Register.
Eligibility
In order to receive services through Operation Sacred Trust, participants must be very low-income veteran families living in Florida's Broward or Miami-Dade counties who are either:
- Residing in permanent housing;
- Homeless and scheduled to become a resident of permanent housing within 90 days pending the location or development of housing suitable for permanent housing; or
- Exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days to seek other housing that is responsive to the very low-income veteran family’s needs and preferences.
Definitions
As defined by the Final Rule adopted by the 111th United States Congress:
Very low-income veteran family means a veteran family whose annual income does not exceed 50 percent of the median income for an area or community, as will be adjusted by VA based on family size and as may be adjusted and announced by VA based on residency within an area with unusually high or low construction costs, fair market rents (as determined under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f)), or family incomes. Unless VA announces otherwise, the median income for an area or community will be determined using the income limits most recently published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for programs under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).
Veteran means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
Veteran family means a veteran who is a single person or a family in which the head of household, or the spouse of the head of household, is a veteran.
See also
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
- Iraq War Veterans Organization
- List of veterans' organizations
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- Veterans' Bill of Rights
- Veteran's pension
- Vietnam veteran
External links
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families Official website.4
- Operation Sacred Trust Official website.5
- Carrfour Supportive Housing Official website.6
- PAIRS Foundation Official website.7
- Henderson Behavioral Health Official website.8
- Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida Official website.9