HUD STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIPS TO END VETERANS' HOMELESSNESS IN MID-ATLANTIC REGION

PHILADELPHIA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Jane C.W. Vincent announced today a partnership with local officials to end veterans' homelessness in the Mid-Atlantic region by the end of 2015.

At a roundtable discussion in HUD's Philadelphia Regional Office on December 2, local officials, non-profit organizations and federal agencies gathered to discuss strategies for eliminating homelessness among veterans in the region. HUD's 2014 homelessness data reveals 3,517 veterans are without a place to call home in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

"Working in close partnership with states, counties and cities, we have seen a 33 percent decline in veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide, but there's more to do," said Vincent. "This week's roundtable gave local officials an opportunity to hear firsthand how cities across the country are successfully addressing the issues. They were equipped with resources and practices that can help them make real progress in ending veterans' homelessness in their communities."

The Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness is a collaborative effort being led by HUD, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and National League of Cities. Announced by First Lady Michelle Obama on June 6, 2014, the Challenge is a call to action to get local officials involved in eradicating veterans' homelessness in their cities by the end of 2015. 

"Mayors have the power to lead their communities to end homelessness among veterans before the end of 2015, and we are proud to support their incredible commitment and leadership," said Laura Green Zeilinger, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. "The Mayors Challenge roundtable offered a great opportunity for federal, state, and local community leaders to come together and solidify the partnerships that are key to achieving our shared goal."

"The path toward ending veteran homelessness goes through cities," said Clarence Anthony, Executive Director of the National League of Cities. "NLC is proud to join with our federal partners to help local leaders better understand and utilize the resources available. Regional forums such as these offer city officials a unique opportunity to share and learn about best practices while improving the relationships with key stakeholders, which are necessary to ensure all veterans have a place to call home."

Nationally, to date, 350 officials have pledged to end homelessness among veterans in their communities, using the power of federal, state, local, and non-profit resources. A memorandum of understanding calls for HUD and the NLC to jointly develop and execute regional forums to raise the awareness and understanding of the benefits of joining the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. In the Mid-Atlantic region, 36 officials have made a commitment to support the effort.

"I was pleased to attend a roundtable discussion on the issue in Philadelphia on Tuesday," said Mayor Ed Pawlowski of Allentown, Pennsylvania. "As a nation, we owe them our best efforts to end veteran homelessness. We will be working with local providers to see what we can do as a community to improve our response to this issue."

Mayor Robin Christiansen of Dover, Delaware, added, "Earlier this week, I was fortunate to be part of a discussion on battling homelessness for our veterans. These men and women who put their lives on the line for us, who leave their families for us, often come home and need a hand up. It is our responsibility as a nation and as a community to aid them in their efforts. I am proud to be working hand in hand with many in Delaware—and most specifically in Dover—to try to bring additional housing so many of these veterans will have a warm, safe place to call home again."

See photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hudopa/sets/72157647250618913/) of the roundtable and panel discussions.

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