Who could have predicted that housing homeless veterans could end homelessness for that group?
Virginia has become the first state in the U.S. to be certified as effectively ending homelessness among military veterans.
By incorporating the principles of Housing First throughout the commonwealth, and providing support services to help veterans maintain stability, 1,432 homeless veterans have been housed since October 2014.
The state’s governor, Terry McAuliffe, announced in a ceremony last week that there is more permanent housing for any other veterans who may be found to be in need, and officials are moving to address homelessness in the general public next.
Cities have reached the state of housing all homeless vets before—New Orleans being the most publicized—but never before has a whole state managed the feat. And McAuliffe vows to tackle homelessness in the general state population next. Could Virginia be the first state to eradicate it?
The really amazing thing about the principles behind Housing First that were applied in Virginia is that they were devised by conservatives in one of the most conservative states in the nation—Utah. Mother Jones published a terrific in-depth look at the Utah program earlier this year that is well worth a read. We can only hope other states get the clue.