Mass Vets Advisor

Springfield Partners for Community Action provides vets & their families throughout Western MA with quality support services & access to financial assistance programs at the community, state, & federal levels. The group partners with other veteran organizations to help clients reach economic stability, helping with: - VA claims - Education benefits - Transportation - Obtaining safe & affordable housing - Financial assistance, & more. Visit the link above to apply or call: (413) 263-6500

Stand Downs are typically one to three day events during which the VA, state, & community organizations' staff volunteer to provide food, clothing, & health screenings to homeless & at-risk Veterans. In addition, Veterans also receive referrals for health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment, mental health counseling & other essential services. To learn about upcoming Stand Down events near you, visit the link above & select "Massachusetts" on the drop-down menu.

Learn how individuals and families with disabilities can get support with tenancy, eviction, and related services.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords & real estate companies, as well as other entities, such as municipalities, banks or other lending institutions & homeowners insurance companies whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable to persons because of: - race or color - religion - sex - national origin - familial status, or - disability. To learn more about the Fair Housing Act & your rights visit the link above.

The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) provides information, tools, & training to ensure service members & their spouses are prepared for the next step in civilian life prior to separation. DOL's VETS office administers a one-day employment preparation workshop that is mandatory for all transitioning service members & two optional two-day workshops for career exploration, technical career preparation, or general employment preparation. To learn more about the TAP program visit the link above.

USAA is a financial services company that offers benefits, products, & discounts for military members, veterans & their spouses, as well as children of USAA members. Their mission is to facilitate the financial security of their members by offering a full range of highly competitive financial products & services including but not limited to: - banking - insurance - investing - advice - discounts To learn more about USAA's products & services visit the link above or call: 210-531-USAA (8722)

USDA offers several loan products for those looking to purchase or repair homes located in eligible rural areas of the state. The Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan assists low-income applicants obtain decent, safe, & sanitary housing by providing payment help to increase their repayment ability. The Home Repair program provides loans to low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes or grants to elderly low-income homeowners. Learn more by visiting the link above.

The USO Pathfinder Transition Program works with strategic partners to connect service members & military spouses to resources through a holistic approach, focusing on: - Employment - Education (including Skillsoft, IBM SkillsBuild, & Coursera) - Financial readiness - Mentorship - Increased access to local veterans’ benefits To learn more about this program & connect to a transition specialist please visit the link above.

The VA acquires properties as a result of terminations on VA-guaranteed & VA-financed loans. These acquired properties are marketed for sale through a property management services contract that was recently awarded to Vendor Resource Management (VRM). For more info on buying a VA-acquired property, to file a complaint, or more, please visit the link above. Properties for sale may also be viewed here: https://www.vrmproperties.com/

The VA's Grant & Per Diem (GPD) Program is offered annually to fund community agencies providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. The purpose is to promote the development & provision of supportive housing &services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability. To learn more about GPD, this year's grant awards list, & how your organization can apply, please visit the link above to the VA's GDP landing page.