VA Announces Summit to End Vet Homelessness in 5 Years

categories: Housing, Policy, Veteran Homelessness

Published August 29, 2009 @ 07:21AM PT

Obama has committed to ending homelessness for the 160,000+ veterans without a home in America. It's a monumental task, one that will take significant resources, coordination, and leadership. But with the right solutions, the right collaborations, and- most importantly- the right leadership, it can happen.

Imagine that - we might just be five years away from living in a country where no veteran sleeps on the streets.

This week, the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs announced a summit: "Ending Veteran Homelessness in Five Years." It will be held November 3rd-5th in Washington, D.C. The idea behind the summit is to get people talking; providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, information, and best practices to enable service providers from across the country to tackle veteran homelessness realistically and effectively.

Here's the cool thing: conference organizers are looking for your provider expertise. Abstracts are now being accepted for oral presentations, booths, or interactive presentations. Learn more at the National Alliance to End Homelessness website.

Abolishing homelessness among veterans is no small task. If we're going to do it, we need to talk to each other, share best practices, and work collectively.

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Comments (7)

I have a friend who runs an outreach program called My Brothers Keepers Reaching Out Inc. Every day he picks up food that would otherwise be thrown out from Kroger and Fresh Market stores in the Atlanta area and delivers it to shelters like The Salvation Army and The Atlanta Union Mission and to the homeless. He is very dedicated and devotes all this time to this mission. He has used all his savings and any dontations would help very much. His website is www.mybrothers-keepers.org.

Posted by Mary Bagwell on 08/29/2009 @ 01:47PM PT
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I'm raising money for homeless veterans. I hope Obama keeps his promise.

Posted by S B on 08/30/2009 @ 06:19AM PT
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Being a vet from the Nam era and with the uncdertain times we live in this is a good thing....

CFJ

Posted by Cherokee Fred Jesus on 08/30/2009 @ 06:41AM PT
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Why does an issue like this have to wait 5 years. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why anyone in the armed forces should be homeless. I am a veteran and don't think anyone including our government understands what it is like to serve in the military. The men and women are putting their lives on the line 24/7. They are fighting for everyone in the United States - legal citizens, illegal citizens, war supporters, and war haters. This is a common sense law. Obama should pass a law today that no Military Person will be homeless.

IF THEY ARE homeless or in financial trouble, then the GOVERNMENT will purchase them a house immediately or bail them out. PASS THE LAW. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DEBATE ON THIS ISSUE. When they come home their should be a set of keys to a new home waiting for them at the airport. If the president wants to impress me, he'll pass the NO VETERAN HOMELESS LAW TODAY. He should not delay with this issue. He should take care of this issue just like he signed the order to shut down Guantanamo Bay on his first day of presidency. (I still do not understand that one!). With our country in turmoil (economically and socially) that was his first act.

God Bless, Support our veterans (young and old) and our troops.

CJ

Posted by c j on 08/30/2009 @ 06:48AM PT
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In 1985 when I attended Berkeley High, the govenor of California, RR, closed many of the Vet hospitals putting sick soldiers onto the streets. I've written about this before, and I will say it again.

So one day I was walking to school at the age of 15 and there was this homeless Vet. He was staring at himself in a mirror on the street. My thoughts and spoken words were "HEY, are you ok?" There was alot of smoke swirling around his head and I took several steps closer. Close enough to smell him and realize that he had just set himself on fire. He turned and looked at me in my eyes and I could see that he was not ok and was never going to be ok. I could see that whatever it was that he saw in Vietnam was burning a hole inside of him.

I tried to help put him out while and crying for help while everyone else made their way in and out of the Center Street Bart Station, ignoring the whole sight. Like nothing happened. I thought those people, the people who walked away, were crazy, not him.

Posted by korina knudson on 08/30/2009 @ 10:01AM PT
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Excess Federal property can be set aside for shelter/housing by being turned over to a non-profit. Suggest you become familiar with whats available today to non-profits. 2002 Bush declared the end of "chronic" Homelessness in 10 years. So then 2012?

Does that warrant respect by the Obama Administration? Respect for the positive decisions made by the Office of President, even though not made by the person holding the office?

Holding the Politicians to their word is not to be left to the Politicians. We are the political will of the people, by the people. for the people.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights suggests that all people deserve safe housing. We figured that out 60 years ago after detonating Nuclear Bombs and extermination of mental defectives ,physical handicaps and such as the first to go to the gas chambers. The physical solution to this problem is affordable housing.

The spiritual solution ? Thats for each of us to discover.

Posted by Keith Bender on 09/01/2009 @ 08:45AM PT
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I know why people go homeless...no one cares. We should find the families of the homelss and give them insentive to keep a relative at home..like a home provider..if they have no relative they could be adopted..if you can adopt an amimal you can open your home to someone that just needs a friend..find each adult their social securtity and find out if they get any kind of money or if they have been cheated out of it..get them their money and place them in housing//

Posted by mary gonzales on 09/02/2009 @ 05:14PM PT
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Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.