9 Percent of Homeless Adults In Hamilton County Are Veterans, Down From 13 Percent Last Year      

Effort to Connect Veterans, Their Families to Homeless Prevention, Shelter and Housing Is Working

CINCINNATI, OH – November 10, 2014 – Strategies to End Homelessness is focused on meeting the needs of at-risk and homeless veterans, because historically a disproportionate number of veterans experience homeless. While only 3.1% of adults in Hamilton County are veterans, 9% of homeless adults are veterans, down from 13% in 2012.

Strategies to End Homelessness is the leader of a coordinated system of care for the homeless in Cincinnati/Hamilton County, and operates the Central Access Point (CAP), a centralized emergency shelter hotline.  Veterans, as well as others individuals and families facing homelessness, contact CAP to access homeless prevention, shelter and housing services.

Over the last several years, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to organizations working with at-risk and homeless veterans locally.  Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries and Talbert House started using these funds to provide homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services to veterans and their families in 2012.  To address the increased need resulting from an increased number of veterans returning from the Middle East, beds are reserved specifically for homeless veterans at Talbert House, the Drop Inn Center, Joseph House and Ohio Valley Goodwill facilities.

The decline in veteran homelessness is also being seen at the national level and has been largely attributed to the close collaboration between HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  Since 2008, more than 59,000 rental vouchers have been awarded and approximately 45,000 formerly homeless veterans are currently in homes of their own because of HUD-VA Supportive Housing.

“Veterans are at greater risk of homelessness, so we are providing cost-effective prevention services, high quality shelter as well as housing solutions that help veterans return to independence,” said Kevin Finn, President and CEO of Strategies to End Homelessness.