As part of UESF’s efforts to address the housing stability of Veterans in Philadelphia,  a special program has been launched for Veterans with utility challenges.  Veterans in Philadelphia with utility shut-off notices or terminated utility service may be eligible for assistance through the Veterans Utility Grant Program—- running for a limited time.

Eligible Veterans should call the UESF Veteran Utility Hotline at 215-814-6844 for additional information, and to schedule an appointment for service.  

Check out this great article on Generosity.org about the recent milestone achieved in Philadelphia! Everyday we are one step closer to zero!

#ReadyForZero

Landlords, we need YOU! 

As a property owner, we need your help as we embark on this incredibly important task by allowing veterans experiencing homelessness to rent from your housing properties.  Some veterans participate in the HUD-VASH program, which is a case management supported housing program through HUD and the VA. Other veterans may receive supportive case management services through the City’s Department of Behavioral Health. Some may not require ongoing intensive supportive services, but just need a safe, stable, affordable place in which to live.

Our online form is NOW LIVE – To express your interest in renting your property to a local veteran, please complete this form or email PhillyVetsHome2015@gmail.com for more information!

Philadelphia, PA, June 29, 2015 – New numbers released by PhillyVetsHome, a collaborative venture of government agencies and non-profit organizations working to end Veteran homelessness in the City of Philadelphia, reveal that 1,000 Veterans have been placed in housing.

This marks a near 90% decrease in the number of unsheltered Veterans experiencing street homelessness within two years.

PhillyVetsHome partners unanimously attribute this tremendous progress to unprecedented collaboration.

“HUD is proud to be a partner in this amazing collaborative effort that is building momentum every day,” said Jane C.W. Vincent, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Mid-Atlantic region. “Significant progress has been made because of our commitment to collaboration and our shared goal of providing housing for those men and women who have served to protect our freedom and way of life.”

PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah agreed, “To be able to partner with other city agencies and like-minded partners to meet the great need for affordable housing in Philadelphia is undoubtedly a good thing. The success of this partnership is measured by the number of Veterans and their families who now have a home and a bit more stability. I am extremely proud to serve these individuals and look forward to many more success stories.”

When asked to share the story of the 1000th Veteran housed, the PhillyVetsHome coalition explained that sixteen Veterans were housed simultaneously in a single day. Yet, one Veteran stood out, because his new home brought with it a new lease on life.

Charles Bouges, an Army Veteran housed through the HUD-VASH program, first rode to Northeast Philadelphia to see an apartment, but it was the airport nearby that rekindled his long lost plan.  During his 17 years of service in the Army, he worked on helicopters and yearned to be a pilot. Now, after finding stability in his new home, his aim is to get a pilot’s license –it’s only a matter of time before he will soar over Philadelphia.

“Our commitment as partners to eliminate homelessness for those men and women who have proudly served this country is becoming a reality,” said Dan Hendee, director of the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. “Working together, as a community, helps us to ensure that systems are in place to support all veterans who may experience a housing crisis or need assistance.”

With the recent milestone of housing 1,000 veterans, PhillyVetsHome is more confident than ever that the city will reach its goal to end Veteran homelessness by this Veterans Day and will help all Veterans, like Mr. Bouges, to achieve personal success.

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Read more at www.philly.com

Check out PhillyVetsHome Partners (the Veterans Multi-Service Center and Pathways to Housing PA) featured in the latest issue of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development HUDLine News…
Richard Ott, Deputy Regional Administrator
(215) 656-0600, hud.gov/pennsylvania
Associate Editor: Niki Edwards, niki.v.edwards@hud.gov

Last month, HUD’s Philadelphia Regional Office supported the Federal Executive Board’s Homeless to Housed Drive, filling its conference room with employee donations for three Philadelphia nonprofit organizations. Household items, ranging from comforters to towels, were collected for veterans and other individuals experiencing homelessness. “The donated goods will be used to create welcome baskets to help these people get started and encourage them to stay in their new home,” said Federal Executive Board Executive Director Lisa Makosewski in her memo to federal agencies, requesting support for the drive. “The needed items are things that many of us take for granted, but for someone who is moving into a home with nothing to bring from their previous address, the basics can turn a house into a home.” The FEB’s primary mission involves the coordination and support of intergovernmental and community activities in the Delaware Valley, bridging the gap of communication and collaboration for more than 170 federal entities. This is the second year it has sponsored the drive.

Donations were given to the Veterans Multi-Service Center (VMC), Pathways to Housing PA and The Dreuding Center. Since 1980, the VMC has been serving those who have served. According to VMC Director of Development Debby Derricks, HUD’s donations will help 75 veterans and families make their houses into homes. She said over the last year the nonprofit has been busy fulfilling its mission. “We have provided housing for over 500 veterans and their families, placed 300 veterans in jobs and served approximately 175,000 meals.” said Derricks. A recipient of their assistance is Navy veteran Albert Ayers, who signed a lease for an apartment in April. Upon moving into his new home, he was presented with a welcome basket. Now, his goal is to find employment to increase his income and stabilize his housing. Above left, Warren Davis with the Veterans Multi-Service Center picks up HUD’s donations from Ben Houck and Joe Nicodemo. At right, Navy veteran Albert Ayers poses for a photo in his new home

Philadelphia, PA, May 22, 2015 – PhillyVetsHome, a collaborative venture of government agencies and non-profit organizations has made tremendous headway towards ending Veteran homelessness in Philadelphia.

According to the 2015 Point-In-Time (PIT) count released this month by the Office of Supportive Housing, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia continues to decrease.

Since 2013, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness of any kind decreased by 23%; the number of unsheltered Veterans experiencing street homelessness decreased by 86%; and over 900 Veterans have moved into housing.

PhillyVetsHome partners attribute the incredible progress of the past year to unprecedented collaboration of government and nonprofit agencies and believe this success suggests a model for other pressing issues facing the City of Philadelphia.

Last month, the PhillyVetsHome along with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced an ambitious end date to Veteran homelessness in the city: Veterans Day 2015. After November 11^th, 2015, if homelessness should occur in a Veteran’s life, it will be rare, brief and non-reoccurring.

Philadelphia is one of 25 Cities identified by the Department of Veteran Affairs, with exceptionally high concentrations of homeless Veterans and selected to intensify and integrate local efforts to end Veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.  This is a joint effort by VA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and local community partners to find permanent housing solutions for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Of the 25 Cities participating in this initiative, only one city has reached the goal to date.

With the recent release of the PIT Count, PhillyVetsHome believes Philadelphia could be next.

April 23, 2015:

Impact Services Corporation won the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporation’s (PACDC) Blue Ribbon Award for Best Large Community Project for 2015.  Impact Services will be completing The Veterans Family Center, fully subsidized apartments for low-income veteran families by November 11, 2015.  The Center will be a newly renovated factory located at 1940 East Allegheny Avenue and will house 26 two-and three-bedroom apartments for Veterans and their families.

Let’s congratulate these Philly Vets Home 2015 partners on a job well done!

April 20, 2015 — The White House released a FACT SHEET outlining Local Progress, Administrative Efforts, and Community Strategies to prevent and end veteran homelessness in the US.

Check out some of the Community Strategies they proposed:

• Creating coordinated assessment and entry systems to ensure that there is no wrong door for veterans seeking help and to create more efficient pathways out of homelessness and into permanent housing;

• Conducting coordinated outreach and engagement efforts to proactively seek out veterans in need of assistance, sharing information across outreach teams and sites, and collaborating across systems, including law enforcement, prisons and jails, hospitals, libraries, and job centers;

• Identifying all veterans experiencing homelessness within the community by name and creating a shared list of veterans experiencing homelessness to ensure that no veteran and his or her family falls through the cracks and that all are linked to the most appropriate housing and services options;

• Setting concrete and ambitious monthly or quarterly goals for helping veterans and their families get back into housing as a strategy for pushing local systems to perform with maximum efficiency and achieve better outcomes;

• Implementing Housing First practices and approaches across every part of the homelessness services and housing systems, removing barriers to help veterans and their families obtain permanent housing as quickly as possible, without unnecessary prerequisites; and

• Increasing connections to employment by collaborating with Workforce Investment Boards, homelessness services and housing organization, VA Medical Centers, and employers, recognizing that employment and income are critical to the ability of people to obtain and sustain housing stability and avoid future crises.

View entire White House FACT SHEET here

PhillyVetsHome2015 is proud to report that we have many of these strategies in place! Let’s END Veteran Homelessness, Philadelphia!