Pierce County ‘revamping’ how it helps homeless veterans with support, services
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- Pierce County relaunched VHOG to meet weekly at WorkSource Pierce, expanding access
- County and VA partners provide coordinated entry, housing referrals, and service links
- VHOG helped house 74 of 168 veteran households this year to permanent housing
Pierce County is building partnerships with service providers and agencies to support a vulnerable population — homeless veterans.
Pierce County Human Services is partnering with WorkSource Pierce to expand the Veterans Housing Options Group (VHOG), providing more support for veterans experiencing housing instability.
Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 5, VHOG will meet weekly at 10 a.m. at WorkSource Pierce, 2121 S. State St., Suite 300 in Tacoma.
According to Human Services spokesperson Kari Moore, VHOG started in 2016 before being paused in 2020 due to the pandemic and was relaunched in 2022.
“The biggest change is the new location and time,” Moore told The News Tribune. “VHOG now operates out of WorkSource, which better connects unhoused veterans to the services they’ve said they need most, such as employment opportunities and DSHS support.”
Through WorkForce Pierce, veterans also can be connected to employment opportunities, as employment is a common factor for those experiencing housing insecurity. The event will be held adjacent to the Department of Social and Health Services office — to allow veterans opportunities to access the full host of services offered to them.
In an interview with The News Tribune, Robert Sheetz, veterans assistance manager for Human Services, said VHOG is being “revamped” as the county will partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, Catholic Community Services, NineLine Veteran Services and other veteran-services providers to connect veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in one location.
VHOG provides veterans experiencing homelessness with information about local housing resources, Coordinated Entry assessments and connections to other veteran-housing programs in Pierce County. Coordinated Entry is the county’s front-door to homeless and housing services.
“Some of them are unhoused. Some of them are looking for resources to help with rent,” he said. “So they’re anticipating that they might be unhoused if they don’t get assistance.”
Sheetz said VHOG gives veterans a chance to access a host of services all in the same place. At the event, they can ask questions directly to representatives of the VA — the agency through which veterans often have the most access to services and support.
He said veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness can be a difficult demographic to connect with and often struggle to navigate the system of services available to them.
“The VA is really good at some things, and, you know, mediocre at a lot of things,” Sheetz said. “But sometimes when veterans experience challenges with the VA, they become reluctant to utilize the VA again.”
Following each VHOG session, participants can meet with representatives from service organizations to take steps toward securing housing.
According to Pierce County, of the 168 veteran households that have exited homelessness and moved into housing this year, 74 were housed through VHOG.
“Since launching VHOG in 2022, we’ve seen how powerful these connections can be for veterans seeking stable housing,” Sheetz said. “Expanding to a larger space and partnering with WorkSource Pierce helps us reach more unhoused veterans and their families where they are, directly connecting them to resources that will improve their lives.”
According to Moore, VHOG doesn’t require any additional funding beyond staff time. The only expense is printing outreach materials, which is covered by the Veterans Relief Fund.
Sheetz said veterans face increased rates of housing insecurity for a number of reasons, including mental health obstacles, substance abuse and distrust of public agencies. He said resources available to them have improved over recent decades.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides housing choice and project-based vouchers specifically for veterans.
Several recently developed housing projects including one owned by Shiloh Baptist Church and Aspen Court include units specifically for veterans. The Good Neighbor tiny home village being built near Spanaway Lake will also prioritize homeless veterans.
