Project Grant 24560HV000083

HANCOCK RESOURCE CENTER (HRC) IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CDC) LOCATED IN HANCOCK COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, THAT PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT HOUSING STABILITY THROUGH FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION, JOB READINESS, EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING, RENTAL COUNSELING, FORECLOSURE PREVENTION, AND HOME REHAB AND REPAIR. HRC HAS SERVED HOMELESS VETERANS THROUGH THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES (SSVF) PROGRAM SINCE 2013 AND THE HVRP SINCE 2015. HRC PROPOSES TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE A NON-URBAN HVRP PROJECT IN THE MS-503 CONTINUUM OF CARE SERVICE AREA OF FOURTEEN COUNTIES IN THE 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THE FOURTEEN COUNTIES ARE LISTED BELOW. HRC WILL WORK WITH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYER GROUPS IN THE AREA TO GROW THE VETERANS EMPLOYMENT NETWORK, COMPRISED OF COMPANIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO EMPLOYING VETERANS. HANCOCK RESOURCE CENTER HAS PARTNERED WITH PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PROVIDE CAREER TECHNICAL PATHWAYS FOR VETERANS SEEKING WORKFORCE TRAINING OR RETRAINING. HRC HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE HUD REGIONAL CONTINUUM OF CARE, OPEN DOORS HOMELESS COALITION, HUD VASH PROVIDERS, AND OTHER VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO MEET HOUSING NEEDS OF VETERANS IN THE HVRP PROGRAM. WE WILL OPERATE A VETERANS EMPLOYMENT CENTER IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENT, COUNSELING, PLANNING, AND PLACEMENT. JOB SKILLS AND JOB READINESS TRAINING ARE ALSO AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT. THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A VETERAN-CENTERED CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO AT LEAST EIGHTY-SEVEN VETERANS OVER THREE YEARS VETERANS TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT. HRCS GOAL IS TO PROVIDE AN ARRAY OF SUPPORT SERVICES DIRECTLY OR BY REFERRAL THAT WILL ADDRESS THESE BARRIERS TO EXPEDITE EMPLOYMENT AND OBTAIN LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT. BASED ON THE INTERESTS, CAPACITY AND OBSTACLES IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE ASSESSMENT AND INTAKE PROCESS, AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT PLAN WILL BE CREATED FOR EACH VETERAN WITH SPECIFIC GOALS RELATED TO OVERCOMING OBSTACLES, COMPLETING TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT. VETERANS WILL BE SCREENED FOR VA PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE COMPENSATED WORK THERAPY PROGRAM AND THE EMPLOYMENT COUNSELOR WILL WORK WITH VA CASE MANAGERS TO ENSURE THE VETERAN ACCESSES ALL AVAILABLE EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES. PARAMOUNT TO THE HVRP IS HRCS HOUSING STRATEGY. THE HOUSING FIRST PHILOSOPHY PROVIDES FOR IMMEDIATE HOUSING WITH SUBSEQUENT CONCENTRATION ON BARRIERS TO MAINTAINING HOUSING. EVERY VETERAN THAT IS ENROLLED IN THE HVRP WILL RECEIVE A HOUSING ASSESSMENT AND EACH VETERAN THAT DESIRES HOUSING WILL BE HOUSED BY HRC DIRECTLY THROUGH THE SSVF PROGRAM OR THROUGH OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES SUCH AS HUD-VASH OR OTHER PROVIDERS. ELIGIBLE VETERANS IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI ARE THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES, WITH FOCUSED OUTREACH TO AFRICAN AMERICAN VETERANS AND FEMALE VETERANS. HRC INTENDS TO PROVIDES SERVICES TO EIGHTY-SEVEN VETERANS OVER THREE YEARS, TRAINING AT LEAST 75% OF THOSE VETERANS FOR JOB READINESS AND JOB SKILLS. THE GOAL IS FOR 57 VETERANS TO OBTAIN LIVING WAGE EMPLOYMENT WITH AN AVERAGE WAGE OF $15.17. TWENTY-EIGHT OF THOSE VETERANS WILL RETAIN THOSE JOBS FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND 13 FOR A FULL YEAR. KEY PARTNERS ARE: THE MISSISSIPPI WIN JOB CENTERS IN EACH COUNTY THAT WE SERVE, SPECIFICALLY THE DISABLED VETERANS OUTREACH PROGRAM SPECIALISTS (DVOPS), THE CONTINUUMS OF CARE FOR THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST (MS-503) REPRESENTED BY THE LEAD AGENCY, OPEN DOORS HOMELESS COALITION, AND THE BALANCE OF STATE (MS-501), REPRESENTED BY MISSISSIPPI UNITED TO END HOMELESSNESS., THE GULF COAST VETERANS HEALTH SYSTEM, HOMELESS CASE MANAGERS, HUD VASH CASE MANAGERS, COMPENSATED WORK THERAPY PROGRAM, INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT PROGRAM SOCIAL WORKERS, HANCOCK RESOURCE CENTERS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES (SSVF) STAFF AND GRANT PER DIEM TRANSITION IN PLACE (GPD-TIP) STAFF, OAK ARBOR S SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES PROGRAM, AND PEARL RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGES WORKFORCE DIVISION.