SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES VETERANS RIGHTS ORGANIZATION

SUPPORTIVE HOUSINGSWORDS TO PLOWSHARES (SWORDS) CONTINUES TO EXPAND OUR INNOVATIVE AND AWARD-WINNING, EMERGENCY, TRANSITIONAL AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT HELP HOMELESS VETERANS GAIN STABILITY AND LIVE INDEPENDENTLY IN THE COMMUNITY. WE CURRENTLY HOUSE NEARLY 500 VETERANS IN PERMANENT OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. SWORDS HAS THREE PROJECTS, ONE THAT'S FULLY COMPLETE AND THE OTHER TWO IN VARIOUS STAGES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. THESE PROJECTS WILL PROVIDE HOUSING ANOTHER 150 VETERANS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS PLEASE GO TO WWW.STP-SF.ORG/OUR-IMPACT

HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICESMORE THAN 1,500 VETERANS SOUGHT SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT AT SWORDS DROP-IN CENTER, WHICH PROVIDES CRITICAL SERVICES TO HOMELESS AND AT-RISK VETERANS, INCLUDING: EMERGENCY SHELTER; MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING; HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION; RAPID RE-HOUSING AND REFERRALS TO A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES AND THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION. WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO STABILIZE VETERANS AND TO MEET THE FULL RANGE OF THEIR NEEDS AS THEY PREPARE TO ENTER A TREATMENT PROGRAM, START A NEW JOB OR EXIT HOMELESSNESS. CASE MANAGERS ARRANGED FOR BRIEF EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR OVER 250 HOMELESS VETERANS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 300 VETERAN FAMILIES MOVING INTO PERMANENT HOUSING. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO RETAIN HOUSING FOR 150 VETERAN FAMILIES FACED WITH EVICTION. SWORDS' REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE SERVICES HELPED VETERANS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND/OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES MANAGE THEIR MONEY AND RETAIN HOUSING. CURRENTLY 145 VETERANS PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM AND ARE THUS PROTECTED FROM EVICTION AND OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF POOR MONEY MANAGEMENT. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY TO STREAMLINE EFFORTS AND COLLABORATION TO HOUSE THE "HARDEST TO SERVE" CHRONICALLY HOMELESS VETERANS. OUR VA-FUNDED RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM; SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND FAMILIES (SSVF), CONSISTS OF TIME-LIMITED, SHORT-TERM PROGRESSIVE COMPONENTS OF INDIVIDUALIZED GOAL SETTING DESIGNED TO BUILD UPON ONE ANOTHER FOR A SOLID APPROACH TO HOUSING STABILIZATION AND RETENTION. THIS 'HOUSING FIRST" MODEL PROVIDES IMMEDIATE WRAP-AROUND SUPPORT TO EACH PARTICIPANT, ESTABLISHING A SOLID PERMANENT HOUSING FOUNDATION - FOLLOWED BY SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN UNIQUELY DESIGNED TO HELP VETERANS MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING. WE SERVED OVER 1,100 FAMILIES IS ALL BAY AREA COUNTIES.