Through a collaborative effort with community partners and government agencies, the country saw a 12 percent drop in the number of homeless Veterans last year. And now, that effort has been recognized by the Partnership for Public Service’s Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Awards.
From the Federal Times:
Susan Angell of the Veterans Affairs Department and Mark Johnston of the Housing and Urban Development Department, recipients of the Citizen Services Medal. They led an interdepartmental program that reduced veteran homelessness by 12 percent — from about 76,000 in 2010 to 67,000 in 2011.
The dramatic reduction came from a focus on prevention services to keep Veterans in their homes. And even after the decrease, VA recently announced that 151 community agencies across the country received nearly $100 million to support 42,000 homeless Veterans, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless.
With that said, Veteran homeless remains one of the most serious issues facing VA, and one we remain focused on every day. If you’re a homeless Veteran or family member, or at risk of becoming homeless, please give our help line a call at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838), and visit our homeless Veteran site for more information on housing assistance, health care options, and more.
Article source: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/8028/va-employee-recognized-for-effort-on-ending-veteran-homelessness/
