SF helps homeless veterans find housing

[orphanedhawk]

In June, Mayor Ed Lee made a promise: His administration would house 50 homeless veterans who had federal vouchers for housing but no luck convincing a landlord to rent to them.

Politicians' pledges can be meaningless, but this one is panning out. So far, 54 veterans who had vouchers at the start of 2012 have been housed. The previous average wait time between receiving a voucher and finding housing was 270 days. Now, it's 83.

The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded the city $2.7 million in March to pay for an additional 200 vouchers. Sixty have been designated for residents of Veterans Commons, a new supportive housing complex for homeless veterans co-run by the nonprofit Swords to Plowshares.

An additional 75 vouchers are tied to veterans seeking housing through West Bay Housing, which tries to place low-income people in housing throughout the Bay Area. Sixty-five more veterans are working with case managers to find private apartments.

Securing a unit in a private apartment building has proved difficult for veterans, despite the city's campaign. Bevan Dufty, Lee's point person on homelessness who is leading the effort, called the response of private landlords just "OK."

In today's scorching rental market, fueled by the technology boom, landlords are much more likely to rent to well-dressed young tech workers with good credit scores and fat bank accounts than a homeless veteran.

The city is instead trying to tie more vouchers to projects such as Veterans Commons, and Dufty hinted that another 33 veterans may soon be housed at a separate complex.

"We're doing really well, and I think people are really excited about the partnerships we've had over the past year," Dufty said.

Never one to pass up an opportunity, he hastened to add that Swords to Plowshares is seeking flat-screen TVs for its new rooms at Veterans Commons. The units are small and cannot easily accommodate bulkier television sets.

[rivll]

Thanks for the information about Kenny. I hope he fares well at home.
I have a friend whose son disappeared for 12 years. He was in his forties and is schizophrenic. Someone called her from Arkansas one day to tell her that he had met him on the street and was impressed with how well mannered he was, though clearly not with it. He was able to get her name and find her number. Long story, but she eventually got him home. He is ill and dying and in hospice, but at least he is with family and being looked after properly.

Good news about housing for vets. I cannot understand how any veteran could be homeless in this country after serving his country.I am glad Lee is fulfilling his promise.
Okay, all chatted out for tonight! :)

[orphanedhawk]

To help, visit www.swords-to-plowshares.org.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-helps-homeless-veterans-find-housing-4065890.php#ixzz2DSs1K6QV


I posted this for two reasons.
One is to focus on some good news.

Two is to share with everyone the end of a story about the homeless young man Kenny, I wrote about earlier.
He had a slight mental disability, was sleeping on the streets, and I became upset with the police harassing him ( while violent criminals go unapprehended)

We haven't seen Kenny for several weeks. My husband asked another homeless guy today if he knew what happened to Kenny.
Apparently, someone bought him a ticket home. Home is on the other side of the country.
The homeless guy said he missed Kenny but sure was happy for him, being able to go home.