Which veterans in the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program receive temporary financial assistance and why: a mixed methods study

The VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program is one of the largest housing assistance programs in the US. One of the key components of this program is temporary financial assistance (TFA) which can be used for rent, security deposits, utilities, and other housing-related expenses. The objective of this paper was to identify characteristics of SSVF enrollees that are associated with receiving any TFA and the amount of TFA received. We conducted a mixed methods study which included a retrospective cohort study of Veterans who entered the SSVF program between 10/2015 and 9/2018 and interviews with 20 SSVF grantee employees. Important characteristics that were positively associated with TFA included African American race, female sex, having a spouse or partner, number of children, education, employment, monthly income, and receiving VA healthcare services. Factors negatively associated with receiving any TFA or the amount of TFA included older age, Medicaid insurance, previous homelessness, and a mental illness diagnosis. Interviews with grantee employees revealed that income-related factors were by far the most influential determinant of whether to give TFA and the amount of TFA to give Veterans enrolling in SSVF.