King County Veterans Program (KCVP) is actively serving tens of thousands of veterans across King County. Currently, more than 115,000 veterans live in King County, one-fifth of veterans are in Washington state, and over 1,200 employees at King County are veterans.
On this Veterans Day, King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) would like to not only reflect on the service and sacrifice of these service members and their families, but also share all they ways veterans help shape the fabric of our communities.
The achievements we have made for veterans are remarkable. From housing and health care, to connection to financial assistance and employment opportunities, we are harnessing our power to make meaningful change. These are undeniable benefits for our veterans and a reminder to us all about how we can and should invest in our communities large and small.
KCVP is taking innovative approaches to meet the needs of veterans by:
- Piloting the Collaborate Case Management program in 2021 to further support veterans in finding housing. In the past 18 months, this program has moved over 100 homeless veterans and their families into housing, in partnership with King County Housing Authority and Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Creating housing stability for veterans on a fixed income, many of whom have disabilities and make less than 30% of Area Median Income.
- Offering low-barrier mental health counseling to veterans, servicemembers and their families. KCVP has provided almost 10,000 free counseling sessions since 2020.
- Contracting with nearly 50 community-based agencies serving veterans in our region.
- Providing wraparound services to more than 2,000 veterans each year since 2018, offering two service hubs with on-site partnerships to address legal issues, benefits assistance, housing stability, and veteran employment.
We will continue to celebrate the brave people who serve our country and strive to create equitable opportunities for them to be happy, healthy, and connected to community.