Ask the Experts: A Q&A Series from Goodman JFS
At Goodman Jewish Family Services, we believe knowledge is power. In this Ask the Experts Q&A series, Goodman JFS President & CEO Randy Colman sits down with our professional leaders for timely conversations on the issues that matter most to our community.
Whether you’re seeking insights, support or a deeper understanding of the services we provide, this series is designed to offer practical guidance and expert perspectives on mental health, family wellbeing and caring for our community. It’s just one more way we aim to serve by supporting those who need help and informing those looking to make a difference.
Q&A with Dr. Jessica Perez, Director, Supportive Services for Veteran Families at Goodman JFS of Broward County
Making a meaningful difference takes more than compassion. Behind every program and service at Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County are important decisions about how to meet growing community needs, allocate limited resources and plan for the future.
As demand for social services continues to rise, nonprofit organizations face a difficult balancing act: How do you help more people while ensuring the support you provide makes a lasting difference? And how do you know when it’s the right time to grow?
In this edition of Ask the Experts, Goodman JFS President & CEO Randy Colman sits down with Dr. Jessica Perez, Director, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, to discuss the challenges veterans face in securing stable housing, the barriers to accessing essential benefits and resources and how Goodman JFS helps veterans overcome those obstacles and regain stability and independence.
What are the most common misconceptions about veterans experiencing housing instability?
Randy Colman: What is one of the biggest misconceptions about veterans who need housing support?
Dr. Jessica Perez: There isn’t some unique subset of veterans, or people, for that matter, that require housing support. They are often people facing typical challenges and life happenings – rising housing costs, the loss of employment, health issues and other unplanned events. Housing instability is the gap between people’s personal resources and the cost of living. As the cost of living rises, that gap widens.
Why do veterans face barriers to accessing available benefits and services?
Randy Colman: If services exist for veterans, why do so many still struggle to get them?
Dr. Jessica Perez: Just because services are available, it doesn’t mean they are easily accessible. Imagine trying to find someone to help, gather financial documents, complete applications or attend appointments when you don’t have a phone, or internet access, or transportation, or a home, or good health or a full night’s sleep or food.
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has provided an array of life saving and supporting services for veterans, including the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program at Goodman JFS. There are also non-VA services in the community to support people in a housing crisis.
But understanding what is available, eligibility criteria and how to access these services is overwhelming. Some veterans make it to their 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s never accessing the benefits they have earned, until they find us or we find them. At Goodman JFS, we try to be a bridge between veterans and those resources, so they become accessible and meaningful.
How does Goodman JFS help veterans secure stable housing and access the benefits they’ve earned?
Randy Colman: How does the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program help veterans get what they’ve earned?
Dr. Jessica Perez: At Goodman JFS, we don’t expect veterans in crisis to find their way through a complicated system on their own. They don’t need to find us, because we find them.
Our in-house hero, Leo Bingham, Army Veteran and Outreach and Eligibility Specialist, goes into the community to connect with veterans who are unhoused, unsheltered and often completely disconnected from resources. Like the blind veteran he found living in a tent next to a gas station, who now has a home for the first time in 16 years.
From there, we build a team around each veteran. A dedicated case manager helps them secure safe, stable housing. At the same time, our Health Service Navigator, a role unique to this program, helps veterans access the benefits and supports they’ve earned: healthcare, transportation, food, income, home care, mental health support and anything else that contributes to stability and quality of life.
We provide financial assistance for rent, utilities and furniture, while connecting veterans to community partners for legal assistance, financial counseling and other supports that protect long-term housing stability. Most importantly, veterans have a choice. We believe they are the experts in their own lives. Our job is to remove barriers and build bridges.
When veterans can’t find their way through the system, we make sure the system finds them.
What challenges are veterans in Broward County facing when seeking housing assistance?
Randy Colman: Who calls Goodman JFS for help, and what situations are they facing?
Dr. Jessica Perez: The people who call us are facing very human, very relatable challenges, but I struggle with the reality that so many of them are older veterans. It raises difficult questions about how we care for people as they age. Many of the veterans we serve rely solely on Social Security, often receiving $800, $900 or $1,200 a month while even modest apartments in Broward County cost far more than that.
One veteran we’re working with is 90 years old. He wants the same thing most of us want as we age: to remain in his own home, stay connected to his community and maintain his independence. He served in Vietnam. He’s never used VA services and never asked for help. Today, we’re helping him access benefits he earned decades ago like his VA Pension and homecare services so he can stay safely housed.
His story is not unusual. For many older veterans the only income they have is their monthly Social Security check. The cost of aging with dignity has become increasingly out of reach.
How can the community help veterans facing housing insecurity?
Randy Colman: How can the community support local veterans this Veterans Day and beyond?
Dr. Jessica Perez: If you know an older veteran, ask how they’re doing. Many older adults are struggling quietly, and many veterans never ask for help, even when they are in a crisis.
If you know a veteran who is struggling to pay rent, facing housing instability or doesn’t know where to turn, connect them to Goodman JFS. You can even call Leo Bingham, Army Veteran and Outreach and Eligibility Specialist, directly at 954-300-2540.
And if you’re in a position to support organizations like Goodman JFS, please do. The reality is that many veterans are one unexpected expense, health crisis or rent increase away from needing help. It takes a community that cares to make sure veterans aren’t forgotten.
To learn more about our SSVF program or make a donation, visit: Supportive Services for Veteran Families
To contact Dr. Jessica Perez, email jperez@jfsbroward.org.