Number of Homeless Vets Decreasing, According to New Data
You can help Ohio continue to make strides by donating a car in Dayton
Last month, we reported that First Lady Michelle Obama, along with mayors, governors, and local leaders had joined up for the Mayors Challenge to End Veterans Homelessness.
The good news is that this program, along with similar programs that have been created over the past four years, appear to have made a positive impact.
According to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the new estimate for the number of homeless veterans across the U.S. is 49,933. While this is still a big number, it’s down 33 percent from 2010’s estimate of 74,770. Additionally, it was reported that the number of veterans sleeping on the street also dropped by 40 percent.
The strategy behind ending veteran homelessness by 2015
This decrease in homeless veterans isn’t due to luck or coincidence; it’s the result of an effective overall strategy. The federal government has been focusing on several techniques designed to locate and help homeless veterans, as well as keep them off the streets. Some of those procedures include:
Removing unnecessary obstacles and red tape that prevent veterans from obtaining housing
Focusing on providing chronically homeless veterans with permanent housing opportunities
Identifying and locating homeless veterans who need shelter and aid
Helping veterans who need short-term rental housing and other temporary services during their reintegration back into society
Creating new housing opportunities for veterans that are ineligible for some of the VA’s housing programs
Using early detection methods to monitor at-risk veterans and prevent them from ending up on the street again
Supervising the progress and success rates of all veteran aid programs and improving the effectiveness of all processes
The numbers show that this game plan has hit the mark so far, but is still being tweaked and improved in order to reach the goal of eliminating veteran homelessness by the end of next year.
Donate a car in Dayton to help
While the decrease in homeless veterans is promising, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
If you’d like to help homeless Ohio veterans live a better life, Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio is taking vehicle donations in Dayton, Ohio. We’ll accept almost anything with a motor, from tractors and ATVs to motorcycles and RVs, even if it isn’t running. We’ll even arrange free same–day towing, and you might end up getting more for your vehicle as a tax-deductible donation than you would selling it on Craigslist.
Remember, when you donate to Volunteers of America, you’re helping us give back to homeless veterans all of the Ohio communities we serve.
Contact the Car Donation & Auction Office at 614-870-7511 if you have any questions, or fill out the car donation form.