Phoenix Becomes First City To End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans

[ProSense]

Phoenix Becomes First City To End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans

By Scott Keyes

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Phoenix announced last week that it has eradicated chronic veteran homelessness — making it the first city in the country to do so — after it housed an additional 56 veterans on Wednesday.

Chronic homelessness is defined as an individual who has experienced homelessness for at least a year or has gone through four episodes of homelessness in the past three years and has a disability. Ending chronic homelessness is particularly important because, even among the homeless population in general, they have the highest rates of health and substance abuse problems, which also puts the most strain on emergency services to treat them.

Three years ago, city officials identified 222 homeless veterans living in Phoenix. Using both state and federal funds, the city had successfully housed the last veterans who were living without homes. They did so through an innovative idea known as “Housing First” — providing somewhere to live for homeless individuals without first requiring that they be sober or drug-free. The thinking goes that homeless individuals with drug or alcohol problems will be far more capable to address these issues if they first have a stable place to live. Housing First works best when it’s coupled, as it was in Phoenix, with supportive services like job training and health care.

In 2009, President Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced an initiative to combat veteran homelessness with the goal of housing every veteran in the country by 2015. The most recent nationwide homeless count found 57,849 homeless veterans in the United States, fully 12 percent of the total adult homeless population. Though that number is still unbearably high, it represents a 24 percent decline over the past four years.

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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/23/3099911/phoenix-homeless/

[ProSense]

1. Kick! n/t

[ProSense]

2. More programs serving the homeless

The Most Innovative Homeless Service You’ve Never Heard Of
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/10/18/2779251/project-homeless-connect/

Utah Is on Track to End Homelessness by 2015 With This One Simple Idea
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024211169

[Humanist_Activist]

3. Housing first sounds like an excellent idea, how many people turn to various chemicals...

simply because of the lack of stability the lack of a home causes?

First priority should always be a fixed address(that isn't a PO box), then everything else falls into place or it serves as a foundation to help resolve other homelessness issues.

[Waiting For Everyman]

4. K&R! nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. kick

[freshwest]

6. Great progress being made and not a moment too soon. Medicaid expansion likely plays a big part.n/t

[Cal Carpenter]

7. Housing First

This should be the standard, whether with vets or any other homeless people and families. All evidence shows it is the single best way to deal with homelessness and allow for real improvement in people's lives overall as far as health, addiction, employment, whatever other issues the person has..

Imagine that. Put people in a home, and they aren't homeless anymore!

[Cha]

8. K&R! Thanks Obama! Thanks PS!