Secretary Santiago Visits Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center to Support Affordable Housing for Veterans

 Secretary Santiago Visits Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center to Support Affordable Housing for Veterans 

Santiago highlighted the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s FY24 budget proposal which increases veterans’ service funding  

  

HYANNIS, MA– Executive Office of Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago met with staff and veterans at the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) and toured the Center’s transitional supportive housing. Joined by the Center’s executive director James Seymour and State Senator Julian Cyr, Secretary Santiago expressed support for the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s FY24 H.1 budget proposal and for the Center’s work in providing comprehensive integrative care to the region’s veterans.  

Veterans living on the Cape and Islands make up 6% of the total veteran population of the Commonwealth. With almost 19,000 veterans, one in nine residents of the Cape and Islands is a veteran. The Cape and Islands hosts a disproportionate share of homeless veterans, with 21% of the total homeless veteran population. In FY23, CIVOC’s Food Pantry served 5,742 veterans, an increase of 117% over last year. CIVOC also provided 1,097 rides this year to veterans through its Veterans Transportation program.  

“Under Jim’s leadership, the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center is instrumental for providing access to critical services that enable veterans to maintain independent, sustainable living. We are grateful for their continued partnership and creative approach to helping address veteran housing and food insecurity,” said Secretary Santiago. “With the proposed increased funding for veterans’ services proposed by Governor Maura Healey, we can better serve veterans and strengthen collaborative partnerships with veterans’ organizations here on the Cape and Islands, as well as across the Commonwealth.”  

“I'm thrilled that Secretary Santiago was able to visit Cape Cod so early in his tenure. This visit marks Secretary Santiago's commitment to understanding the needs of veterans in the Commonwealth, and I'm thankful for his partnership,” said Senator Julian Cyr.  

“We are honored to have Secretary Santiago visit the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center so quickly after his appointment by Governor Healey. We are eager to share the promising results that our partnership with the Commonwealth has enabled. We are eager to continue and expand our partnership with the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services to serve our veteran clients each day here on the Cape & Islands,” said James Seymour, Executive Director of the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center."  

On March 1^st, Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll filed their FY2024 budget proposal,the first to reflect the new cabinet-level status of the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS). The Healey-Driscoll administration budget recommendation proposed $185.6 million for the new secretariat. Since 2013, the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services has provided CIVOC with more than $2.5 million in funding.  

The Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) is the only non-profit veterans outreach center on the Cape and Islands and the largest non-profit veteran service provider. Fulfilling this duty across four decades, CIVOC delivers service-enriched housing and all-inclusive supportive programs that empower veterans to achieve independence with dignity and respect.  

For more information about the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center, visit capeveterans.com. For more information about the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, visit mass.gov/veterans.