Posted on Dec 8, 2015
Can We End Veteran Homelessness? New Orleans Did!
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New Orleans eliminates homelessness amongst city's vets / Mayor Mitch Landrieu
New Orleans eliminates homelessness amongst city's vets New Orleans is the first city to meet and exceed First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to eradicate v...
Can We End Veteran Homelessness? New Orleans Did!
RP Members take a look at what New Orleans accomplished!
https://youtu.be/Q0gC77167jw
As of this time last year, there were some 50,000 homeless veterans across this country. With those numbers in mind, some 300 mayors, 6 governors, and 71 other local officials around the country committed themselves and their local constituencies to find housing for all homeless veterans by the end of 2015. At the beginning of 2014, New Orleans identified some 193 homeless veterans in the city. Another 35 were identified over the course of the year.
By the end of 2014, New Orleans had housed 277 homeless veterans, essentially eliminating the problem for the veteran population in their city. The last known homeless veteran in the area was placed in his new digs on Jan. 2, 2015, bringing the total number housed to 278. By doing so, New Orleans became the first entity in the country to accomplish the goal of housing all of its homeless veterans. This is a real ray of hope for homeless veterans and homelessness in general.
New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu expressed the real and most meaningful motivation behind the effort in New Orleans when he said, “We owe our veterans our eternal gratitude for their service to this nation, and making sure that they have a place to call home is a small but powerful way we can show our appreciation.” It is a matter of reason and logic that having a house, an address, a place to call their own, will go a long way toward restoring the dignity and self-respect of these formerly homeless men and women, but it will also help them to get work, to take charge of their own lives, and become participating members of the society once again.
RP Members take a look at what New Orleans accomplished!
https://youtu.be/Q0gC77167jw
As of this time last year, there were some 50,000 homeless veterans across this country. With those numbers in mind, some 300 mayors, 6 governors, and 71 other local officials around the country committed themselves and their local constituencies to find housing for all homeless veterans by the end of 2015. At the beginning of 2014, New Orleans identified some 193 homeless veterans in the city. Another 35 were identified over the course of the year.
By the end of 2014, New Orleans had housed 277 homeless veterans, essentially eliminating the problem for the veteran population in their city. The last known homeless veteran in the area was placed in his new digs on Jan. 2, 2015, bringing the total number housed to 278. By doing so, New Orleans became the first entity in the country to accomplish the goal of housing all of its homeless veterans. This is a real ray of hope for homeless veterans and homelessness in general.
New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu expressed the real and most meaningful motivation behind the effort in New Orleans when he said, “We owe our veterans our eternal gratitude for their service to this nation, and making sure that they have a place to call home is a small but powerful way we can show our appreciation.” It is a matter of reason and logic that having a house, an address, a place to call their own, will go a long way toward restoring the dignity and self-respect of these formerly homeless men and women, but it will also help them to get work, to take charge of their own lives, and become participating members of the society once again.
Posted in these groups: 
Homeless
New Orleans
Homeless New Orleans
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 9
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I worked at a college VA dept that had a VRAP program aimed at homeless vets. I had the DD214 of each vet and I'll tell you that 95% of the homeless vets were discharged from the service with "General" or less, and most of that 95% served less than two years with very, very few being deployed. So why would the people owe anything to a "vet" who served a short period and got kicked out with a bad conduct discharge. We are reaping the benefits of lowering the standards to let people who should have never served enlist.
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Capt Tom Brown
Good observation. Would be interesting to see what the gvts. statistics are for DD257 & DD258. Not something that you see published too often. Once was typing up a discharge package for a Marine which he was receiving a DD-258. I remember the Admin Chief saying, 'If you are undesirable for military service, what the hell are you desirable for?' or similar words. Have never forgotten what he said.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs this announcement that New Orleans ended veterans homelessness is typical of big government actions. They tend to announce success when a policy or program is implemented instead of waiting until it has accomplished its mission. We read about the action by New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu earlier in the year focusing on 277 veterans being housed.
I hope nobody is gullible enough to believe that every homeless veteran in the New Orleans area has found suitable housing. The number of homeless veterans and others tends to increase in southern and warmer areas during the winter.
While many homeless veterans may let it be known they are veterans many others are sad/depressed and do not willingly let it be known.
Each veteran is an individual and some will experience homelessness at different points in their post-service life. I hope and pray that each is treated with the honor and dignity they so richly deserve.
I hope nobody is gullible enough to believe that every homeless veteran in the New Orleans area has found suitable housing. The number of homeless veterans and others tends to increase in southern and warmer areas during the winter.
While many homeless veterans may let it be known they are veterans many others are sad/depressed and do not willingly let it be known.
Each veteran is an individual and some will experience homelessness at different points in their post-service life. I hope and pray that each is treated with the honor and dignity they so richly deserve.
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SGT Caleb Wells
I waited for a hud/vash voucher for 3 years before finally leaving for Chicago where I was awarded a voucher within 60 days
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LTC Stephen F.
SGT Caleb Wells - that is a much too long a time to wait for government action to trickle down to you.
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Have to put in a plug for Austin which has also participated in the national program over the past couple of years and recently announced that housing had been provided or committed to for all 500 or so homeless vets . Not all are actually in housing but housing has been identified to accommodate them in the near future. There will always be homeless vets and others, but the City has a mechanism in place to continually identify homeless vets and get them in the program. This program focuses on 'housing first' to be followed by finding the vets a source of income other than public grants to keep them housed on a more permanent basis.
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/opinion/facebook-comments-jan-7-2016/npxTy/
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/opinion/facebook-comments-jan-7-2016/npxTy/
Facebook comments: Jan. 7, 2016
Mayor Steve Adler said Wednesday that Austin now meets the federal definition of ending veteran homelessness— such as having a system in place and enough housing stock — so any veteran on the streets can move into housing within 90 days, as reported by the American-Statesman’s Andra Lim.
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