DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- The City of Dallas and Dallas County say the federal government has confirmed they have "effectively ended" homelessness among veterans. They say the announcement came from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs.
"One of our nation's most important tasks is ensuring those who put their lives on the line for us have access to safe, decent housing with the wraparound services they need," says Regional HUD Administrator Candace Valenzuela.
Valenzuela says homelessness among veterans has dropped 63% across Texas since 2009.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says 146 government and non-profit agencies have worked together to provide "wrap-around" services so they can help veterans find permanent housing but also prevent them from losing their home in the first place.
"We must double down here in Dallas and across the country to make sure we identify all the veterans experiencing homelessness," says the Department of Veterans Affairs' Meg Kabat.
Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel says groups in this system must keep working together. She says the city and county are already collaborating to provide things like affordable housing, supportive housing, eviction prevention and workforce development.
"You can't just throw somebody into an apartment, say they're housed and it will be a successful experience for everybody," she says.
Veterans Affairs says 83 other communities across the country have effectively ended homelessness among veterans.
Housing and Urban Development says overall homelessness across Texas increased 12% last year, and more than 27,000 people did not have a permanent home. HUD and other groups have said increasing rent and the end of protections during the pandemic may be contributing to the number.
In Dallas, though, the organization, Housing Forward, says its count of homeless people in January came to its lowest number since 2015. The group said overall homelessness in Dallas has dropped 19% since 2021, and unsheltered homelessness has dropped 24%.
"It's all about coming together, setting a goal, coming up with a strategy and then everyone executing toward that strategy ," says Housing Forward Board Chair Peter Brodsky.
Brodsky says some veterans may still experience homelessness, but with so many different organizations working together, they have a system that can get veterans into a permanent home within 90 days.
"I do just want to focus everyone on two words, which are 'collective impact,'" he says. "That is what has made this day possible, and that is what has made our gains possible. It has taken the city council believing in the program to allocate the funds. It has taken Dallas County believing in the program to allocate the funds. It has taken Austin Street Center, Metrocare, the Bridge, Stewpot and another 146 agencies who have believed in this program."
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