Combatting Veteran Homelessness
Council Supports Collaborative Effort to
Connect Veterans to Housing Resources in Columbus
Columbus
City Councilmember Michael
Stinziano yesterday joined
community partners and the Franklin County Veteran Service Commission to launch
“Homes for Heroes”— a pilot resource fair that links veterans to housing
providers in the Columbus region.
“It
is essential that we have services and connectors in place to support our most
vulnerable populations and especially those who have served our country,” said
Stinziano. “Reliable, affordable housing encourages stability and better
quality of life for Columbus residents.”
The
Columbus region represents the second highest population of homeless
individuals in the State of Ohio, with over 1,700 individuals tracked by care
providers.
The
Homes for Heroes pilot fair aims to target local veterans, bring community
providers and landlords together to educate consumers and remove barriers to
access housing.
The
pilot event, which was held at the Franklin County Veteran Service Commission
in downtown Columbus, allowed over 50 veterans to utilize resources provided by
Department of Housing & Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing and the
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program.
The
goal of the event was to secure and move-in as many veterans as possible into
long-term housing by close of day.
“It
is our responsibility as a community to support the men and women that have
sacrificed for our country,” said Councilmember Mitchell Brown, chair of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee. “Programs like Homes for Heroes provide hope and stability
for those that deserve our gratitude and compassion.”
The
pilot also featured partners from –Volunteers of America, Lutheran Social
Services, The Columbus VA; Community Outreach programs including HUD VASH and
HCHV; The Franklin County Veteran Service Commission; The Furniture Bank; The
Breathing Association; The Community Shelter Board and several community
landlords.
“Partners,
community leaders and landlords all need to be at the table to address
veteran’s homelessness. I appreciate the work done so far, and look forward to
Council continuing to support the efforts of the Homes for Heroes pilot,” said
Stinziano.
Homes
for Heroes plans to evaluate the results of the pilot and hold future housing
resource fairs to address veteran homelessness in Columbus and Central Ohio.
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