STRATEGIES TO END HOMELESSNESS CONNECTS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HOMELESS PREVENTION, SHELTER, AND HOUSING SERVICES
13 Percent of Homeless Adults In Hamilton County Are Veterans
CINCINNATI, OH – November 11, 2013 – Strategies to End Homelessness is focused on meeting the needs of at-risk and homeless veterans, because a disproportionate number of veterans experience homeless. While only 3.1% of adults in Hamilton County are veterans, 13% of homeless adults are veterans.
Strategies to End Homelessness is the leader of a coordinated system of care for the homeless in Cincinnati/Hamilton County, and operates the Central Access Point (CAP), a centralized emergency shelter hotline. Veterans, as well as others individuals and families facing homelessness, contact CAP to access homeless prevention, shelter, and housing services.
In the last 18 months, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded two new Supportive Services for Veterans and their Families (SSVF) grants to organizations working with at-risk and homeless veterans locally. Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries and Talbert House are using these funds to provide homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services to veterans and their families. Programming was started in 2012 to address the increased need represented among an increased number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to SSVF, Talbert House, the Drop Inn Center, Joseph House, and Goodwill each have beds in their facilities reserved specifically for homeless veterans.
“As a result of the experiences veterans endured on our behalf, they are at greater risk of homelessness after their return. They fought for us, so we need to provide them with cost-effective homeless prevention services, and high quality shelter and housing solutions to help them return to independence,” said Kevin Finn, President and CEO of Strategies to End Homelessness. “They protected us. We need to look out for them by addressing their unique challenges,” he added.
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