Healey-Driscoll Administration Proposes $3.5 Million to Provide Services and Care for Veterans Facing Homelessness

Healey-Driscoll Administration Proposes $3.5 Million to Provide Services and Care for Veterans Facing Homelessness  

BOSTON, MA – Promoting the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s priority of addressing veteran care, EOVS Secretary Jon Santiago met with staff and veterans at the New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV). The Center provides at-risk veterans and veterans experiencing homelessness with tools and programs to help them achieve reintegration, meaningful employment, and independent living. Joined by NECHV President and CEO C. Andrew McCawley, Secretary Santiago voiced support for $3.5 million in continued funding proposed by Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll in their annual budget.  

The proposed funding will increase capacity for NECHV to support veterans’ economic self-sufficiency through an array of services and programs. This budget would help fund the Center for the thirty-first consecutive year and maintains an increase of nearly $1 million over FY2020. EOVS is also providing an additional $500,000 in funding in FY2023 to NECHV to support access to housing and other services for marginalized veterans and family members.  

“The New England Center and Home for Veterans is honored to host Secretary Santiago for a visit and tour at our facility in Boston. The Secretary has been a strong supporter and advocate for Veterans during his service in the Legislature, and his appointment to the new cabinet post of Secretary for the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services exemplifies the commitment that Governor Healey has made to supporting Veterans and their families,” said C. Andrew McCawley, President and Chief Executive Officer, New England Center and Home for Veterans. “Massachusetts demonstrably leads the nation among States in both honoring and supporting military Veterans, and the Center is honored to partner with the Commonwealth and its Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, in support of those who have served.”   

“Connecting veterans to critical housing, employment and other supportive services is a central focus for our team at EOVS each and every day,” said Secretary Santiago. “Seeing first-hand the transformative work being done by Andy McCawley and his team speaks to why Governor Healey is prioritizing our veteran community and is following through on this commitment. This investment will assist the Center in giving veterans a pathway toward independence and self-sufficiency. We look forward to working with our legislative partners to advance this work.”  

Last week, the Healey-Driscoll administration filed their FY24 budget, the first to reflect the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services new Cabinet-level status. Governor Healey’s budget contained a total of $186,500,000 in funding for the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, including $3.5 million for the New England Center and Home for Veterans.   

NECHV is one of the nation’s most prominent private, community-based providers of human services to Veterans who are experiencing challenges following their military service. For more information about NECHV, visit https://nechv.org/. For more information about the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, visit https://mass.gov/veterans/.