Operation Sacred Trust

Operation Sacred Trust (OST) is an initiative funded since October 2011 by the United States 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.^[1][2][3][4] The program provides eligible veteran families with outreach, case management, and assistance in obtaining VA and other benefits, such as:^[3]

• Emergency resources
• Case management
• Resiliency skills training
• Housing counseling
• Affordable housing
• Crisis assistance
• Landlord mediation
• Credit repair
• Mortgage resources
• Help accessing VA benefits
• Legal assistance
• 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.^[5][6]

Two November 11, 2012 articles featured Operation Sacred Trust as a new model for ending homelessness for veterans.^[7][8] In November 2012 and May 2014, CBS Miami featured Operation Sacred Trust on the Evening News.^[9][10]

Operation Sacred Trust began as 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 initial OST partners, Carrfour Supportive Housing, PAIRS Foundation, Henderson Behavioral Health, and Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida, brought combined experience of more than 100 years in the South Florida community serving homeless and other at-risk populations.^[11] Beginning in 2016, Operation Sacred Trust began operating as an independent agency with staff members provided by Carrfour Supportive Housing, Purpose Built Families Foundation, and the University of Miami Health Law Clinic.^[12]

Funding for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program was initially 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.^[13] The initial grant that funded the program was $1 million annually. In 2013, funding from the VA was increased to $1.75 million annually with an additional $3 million provided for a three-year surge in Miami-Dade County in October 2014.^[3]

In total, between FY 2012 and 2017, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, provided $28.8 million in grant funds to three unique Supportive Services for Veteran Families programs in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, including $12.1 million to Operation Sacred Trust (42%), $8.7 million to Advocate Program (30%), and $8 million to the United Way's Mission United initiative (28%).^{[citation needed]}

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:^[13]

1. Residing in permanent housing;
2. 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
3. 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.

As defined by the Final Rule adopted by the 111th United States Congress:^[13]

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.

• List of veterans organizations
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs

• Carrfour Supportive Housing Official website.[5]
• Operation Sacred Trust Official website.[6]
• PAIRS Foundation Official website.[7]
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families Official website.[8]

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