I have been so good with my real estate related posts that I felt we deserved to get something of social importance out there. And this is big stuff too, which could end up being a model for the rest of the U.S. Phoenix is poised to become the first community to have eradicated homelessness among veterans. In 2011 there were 222 homeless veterans there (a small number, true, but the program can also be applied in cities with larger homeless populations of veterans and other homeless) and by February 14, 2014 the last of them will be in housing. In the immortal words of the Talking Heads, How did we get here? Partly through a national approach called Housing First. Unlike past programs that treated housing as a reward for good behavior, the program allows the housing which in turn allows the veterans the stability to work on the problems that made them homeless to begin with like mental illness and drug addiction which are commonplace. The program is available to veterans living on the street for over a year or who have done so 4 times over the past 3 years. The limitation of the program is affordable housing, which will be the biggest obstacle in larger cities than Phoenix. This is all part of a federal plan to end homelessness among veterans by 2015 and homelessness overall by 2020. While the Government admits it is behind schedule, there can be no ignoring the strides that have been made already. The numbers went from 76,000 homeless vets in 2010 (12% of the nation’s homeless population) to 58,000 homeless vets in 2012 (9% of the nation’s homeless population). Something else very interesting happened along the way that might fundamentally change everything. It was discovered that it costs much less, $605 per housing and services for one person while it costs $2,900 for someone living on the streets.
Given this information, lots more resources can be redirected towards the creation of affordable housing. Lots of organizations, private, public and religious, are participating in the effort to fund this effort and it is working. The retention numbers of the vets speak volumes. It is 85% nationally for veterans placed in permanent housing after 1 year and 94% in Phoenix. I only hope all this can continue and we can take a huge step forward as a society. No more people homeless. Can you imagine that?
Program to End Homelessness Among Veterans Reaches a Milestone in Arizona
Orin Rosenfeld
President
Rosenfeld Realty Advisors
9858 Glades Rd. Suite 209
Boca Raton, FL 33434
Phone: 561-756-1665
Fax: 561-470-0707
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