Housing First - bringing veterans in off the street with the Homeless Veterans Initiative (HVI)
Veterans
for Peace officially begaun our pilot program Housing First
this November 2009. We opened two single family houses that
are homes to eight veterans.
The Housing First Program is designed to bring the veteran off the street and into safe and secure housing first and then in a coordinated effort work on the individual supportive services that may be needed.
Comprehensive VFP programs provide:
- Nutritious meals where the veteran has the choice of selection and preparation.
- Essential physical health care, substance abuse aftercare and mental health counseling either with enrollment in the Veterans Administration or local agencies.
- Job assessment, training and placement assistance for the veterans.
Veterans helping veterans
Each house has a manager who is a veteran that we have been working
with
over the last year and has been achieving success in their own
life and
now will take on the daily running of the home. This is a veteran
helping veteran approach that we believe works best. With positive
role
models and mentors that help with personal development and empowerment,
each veteran can reach their highest level of self management.
Our
housing provides the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free
environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering
themselves.
We
provide the support, resources and opportunities most Americans take for granted:
housing, employment and health care. Veterans who
participate in these programs will have a higher chance of becoming
productive citizens again.