Barriers and Facilitators to Veterans Administration Collaboration With Community Providers: The Lodge Project for Homeless Veterans

Since 2009, the U. S. Veterans Administration has made concentrated efforts to end homelessness among veterans. As part of these efforts, the Iowa City, Iowa, VA Health Care System in collaboration with local community providers deployed a supportive housing program aimed at homeless veterans. Called the Lodge program, it is intended to serve a Mid-Western mid-size city and its surrounding rural communities. This article presents qualitative findings from a mixed-method, two-year formative evaluation of the Lodge's implementation. Primary barriers to the effectiveness of the Lodge program were regulations hindering cooperation between service programs, followed by problems regarding information sharing and client substance abuse. Facilitators included personal communication and cooperation between individuals within and among service groups. The feasibility of implementing a Lodge program in a more rural community than Iowa City was also discussed.