Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal grant worth $118,800 for the Albany Housing Coalition to help provide new job training opportunities for veterans struggling to transition to civilian life and find a job in the tough economy.
The federal grant funding is allocated from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
“New York’s veterans are some of the bravest, hardest working men and women you could ever ask for,” said Senator Gillibrand, who has been leading the effort in the Senate to provide stronger job training and education opportunities for veterans. “They bravely fought for our country overseas, and they shouldn’t be in the fight of their lives once again here at home in a tough economy. This is a great investment that can equip more veterans with the skills they need for good-paying jobs.”
“On behalf of the homeless veterans we serve, we would like to thank Senator Gillibrand,” said Joe Sluszka, Executive Director of the Albany Housing Coalition. “The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program is a significant resource for employing homeless veterans in the Capital District. We expect 44 homeless veterans to gain employment during the next 12 months. More importantly, we expect that 70% of those veterans will retain employment for more than 9 months”
The grant for Capital Region veterans is part of a nationwide initiative totaling more than $15 million and estimated to serve roughly 8,600 veterans nationally with job training to help them succeed in civilian careers.