Senators Collins, King Announce Nearly $2.1 Million for Preble Street in Portland

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and Angus King announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $2,099,469 to Preble Street, an organization that serves individuals, including veterans, who face homelessness, housing issues, hunger, and poverty.

“For more than four decades, Preble Street has provided and expanded crucial services for Maine’s homeless and at-risk population,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We commend the staff and volunteers at Preble Street for their hard work assisting individuals of all backgrounds, and we are pleased that this funding will help reduce homelessness among veterans in our state.”

This funding was awarded through the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. According to the VA, nearly 300 organizations across the country received grants this year, and approximately 95,300 veterans and 31,950 children benefited from this program in 2016.

Earlier this year, Senator Collins authored the FY18 Transportation and Housing Appropriations Act, which unanimously passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, and provides $2.456 billion for homeless assistance programs and an additional $40 million for new HUD-VASH vouchers. These vouchers have been critical to reducing veterans’ homelessness by 47 percent since 2010.