Housing
Keeping a Family Together at Home
Problem
Ifreida B., a Gulf War veteran, faced a temporary financial crisis after the nursing contract that provided her primary income ended in February. Although she had secured a new contract, she would not return to work until mid-June, leaving her family with only VA disability compensation and child support during the four-month gap.
As a divorced single mother of two children, the sudden loss of income made it impossible to keep up with her mortgage payments. She received an eviction notice with a scheduled court date and feared losing the home she had worked hard to provide for her family. Knowing she would soon return to work, she requested partial assistance to help bridge the gap until her income resumed.
Action
A Virginia Veteran and Family Support (VVFS) Resource Specialist reviewed Ifreida's circumstances and verified that her financial hardship was temporary and directly related to the interruption between employment contracts. In addition to requesting emergency mortgage assistance, VVFS helped reduce the family's financial burden by providing a credit toward her utility account and connecting the family with food resources for the following three months.
The request was referred to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 227, where emergency financial assistance made possible through charitable contributions to the Northern Virginia Vietnam Veterans Foundation (NVVVF) was approved to help cover a portion of the overdue mortgage balance.
Outcome & Impact
The one-time grant helped protect the family's housing during a brief but critical period between jobs. By providing temporary assistance while additional community resources were put in place, the grant helped prevent a short-term interruption in income from becoming a long-term housing crisis.
Through the partnership of VVFS, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 227, and the Northern Virginia Vietnam Veterans Foundation, timely assistance gave Ifreida the opportunity to focus on returning to work and supporting her two children rather than facing the uncertainty of losing their home. The assistance reinforced that temporary setbacks can be overcome when veterans receive help at the moment they need it most.