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Veteran Homelessness Reduce by Half

White House BHThe number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States has been cut almost in half since 2010, according to a recent report from The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH).

The report states that there was a 17 percent decrease in veteran homelessness between January 2015 and January 2016 which was quadruple the previous year's annual decline. With this data is was also shown to be a 47 percent decrease since 2010.

With HUD's annual Point-in-Time (PIT) estimate of America's homeless population, the report notes that communities across the country reported that less than 40,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness on a given night based off of data from January 2016. This estimate found just over 13,000 unsheltered homeless veterans living on the streets making it a 56 percent decrease since 2010.

"We have an absolute duty to ensure those who've worn our nation's uniform have a place to call home," said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. "While we've made remarkable progress toward ending veteran homelessness, we still have work to do to make certain we answer the call of our veterans just as they answered the call of our nation."

This progress is attributed by the report to be a result of the partnership among HUD, the VA, USICH, and other federal, state and local partners. They share that the partnerships were sparked by the 2010 launch of Opening Doors, a plan to prevent and end homelessness. Additionally, the initiative's success among veterans can also be attributed to the effectiveness of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which according to the report, combines HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. It has been shown that since 2008, more than 85,000 vouchers have been given and more than 114,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program.

"The dramatic decline in Veteran homelessness reflects the power of partnerships in solving complex national problems on behalf of those who have served our nation," said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. "The men and women who have fought for this nation should not have to fight to keep a roof over their head and I'm pleased that VA is serving more veterans than ever before with heath care, education, job training, and wraparound supportive services. While this is very real progress that means tens of thousands more veterans have a place to call home, we will not rest until every Veteran in need is permanently housed."

The report says that since 2010, more than 360,000 veterans and their families have been permanently housed, rapidly rehoused or prevented from becoming homeless through programs administered by HUD and the VA.

About Author: Kendall Baer

Kendall Baer is a Baylor University graduate with a degree in news editorial journalism and a minor in marketing. She is fluent in both English and Italian, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Apart from her work as a journalist, she has also managed professional associations such as Association of Corporate Counsel, Commercial Real Estate Women, American Immigration Lawyers Association, and Project Management Institute for Association Management Consultants in Houston, Texas. Born and raised in Texas, Baer now works as the online editor for DS News.
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