Many cities are undertaking serious efforts to get homeless veterans off the streets and into semi-permanent or permanent housing. Now, two North Carolina cities say they have effectively ended that problem within their borders.
Both Fayetteville and Winston-Salem report having a "functional zero" homeless veterans living there, as every former servicemember who wants permanent housing has now been provided with it, according to a report from the Associated Press. This is because, several years ago, the VA took aim at housing veterans instead of just treating them for their various issues while they still lived on the streets.
This new way of dealing with veteran homelessness seems to be significantly more effective, because it allows for former servicemembers to have some amount of stability in their lives while they deal with issues such as addiction and joblessness, the report said. That change can make a world of difference to those who are struggling.
These are two of several cities across the country that have effectively eliminated veteran homelessness, but there is still more to be done to help veterans in many ways, and likewise, those servicemembers should keep in mind that there are many organizations looking to lend a hand.