ABILENE, TX (KXXV) -
After a challenge issued by the mayor of Abilene, the city has become the first in Texas to house all homeless veterans, according to KTXS.
In October, Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams said he wanted to end veteran homelessness within 100 days. While the city fell a few days short of their goal, it has become the 9th city in the United States to find homes for all of their veterans.
Before the challenge, an estimated 5 percent of the population was homeless. Abilene's population is 121,885.
"During the 100 days of this challenge, our local housing and service providers redoubled their efforts to house as many veterans as possible in order to make veteran homelessness in Abilene something that is rare, brief, and nonrecurring," the West Texas Homeless Network told KTXS.
While some cities have reached "functional zero" status (meaning they have less homeless veterans than the city has able to place), Abilene says they have reached a goal that only 8 other cities have accomplished under a more stringent Built for Zero standard.
“While other cities have reached ‘functional zero’ under a less stringent measure developed by the VA and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Abilene has achieved what only 8 other communities have accomplished under the more stringent, Built For Zero measure/standard,” Parrish told the Star-Telegram.
The eight other communities are Rockford, IL; Arlington, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Fort Myers, FL; Gulfport, MS, Riverside, CA, Norman, OK, and Bergen County, NJ.
The mayor said they were then able to house the 30 remaining veterans in the area. The mayor said the next step is to reduce overall homelessness in the city.
http://www.kxxv.com/story/40053486/..._q5z_xmL0VUQrAPnyMqvCIukh1cmYlUe40c3NTZ_juAZ0
Hats off to Abilene!
After a challenge issued by the mayor of Abilene, the city has become the first in Texas to house all homeless veterans, according to KTXS.
In October, Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams said he wanted to end veteran homelessness within 100 days. While the city fell a few days short of their goal, it has become the 9th city in the United States to find homes for all of their veterans.
Before the challenge, an estimated 5 percent of the population was homeless. Abilene's population is 121,885.
"During the 100 days of this challenge, our local housing and service providers redoubled their efforts to house as many veterans as possible in order to make veteran homelessness in Abilene something that is rare, brief, and nonrecurring," the West Texas Homeless Network told KTXS.
While some cities have reached "functional zero" status (meaning they have less homeless veterans than the city has able to place), Abilene says they have reached a goal that only 8 other cities have accomplished under a more stringent Built for Zero standard.
“While other cities have reached ‘functional zero’ under a less stringent measure developed by the VA and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Abilene has achieved what only 8 other communities have accomplished under the more stringent, Built For Zero measure/standard,” Parrish told the Star-Telegram.
The eight other communities are Rockford, IL; Arlington, VA; Montgomery County, MD; Fort Myers, FL; Gulfport, MS, Riverside, CA, Norman, OK, and Bergen County, NJ.
The mayor said they were then able to house the 30 remaining veterans in the area. The mayor said the next step is to reduce overall homelessness in the city.
http://www.kxxv.com/story/40053486/..._q5z_xmL0VUQrAPnyMqvCIukh1cmYlUe40c3NTZ_juAZ0
Hats off to Abilene!
