RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia is leading the way in the fight to end veteran homelessness, Governor Terry McAuliffe declared during a Veterans Day ceremony Wednesday in Richmond. He announced Virginia was certified as the first state in the nation to "functionally end" veteran homelessness. That means there are more homeless veterans getting housing assistance, 1,432, than identified homeless veterans living on the street.
"This is an important victory in our ongoing efforts to make our Commonwealth the best place on earth for veterans to live, work and raise a family. However, we must remain committed to keeping homelessness among veterans, and, all Virginians, rare, brief and non-recurring," Governor McAuliffe said. "This successful effort will serve as the launching pad for our next goal of functionally ending chronic homelessness among all Virginians by the end of 2017.”
The state credits various programs for helping veterans find and keep housing:
- Using evidenced-based tools for triaging the needs of identified veterans
- Making both rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing resources available
- Incorporating the principles of Housing First throughout the entire spectrum of housing assistance for a veteran
