More than Thirty Homeless Vets Housed for Veterans Day

SAN BERNARDINO>> This year in San Bernardino County, Veterans Day not only served as a day to recognize the invaluable service of veterans to our nation, but will also mark the day a county wide goal was achieved; a goal to provide 34 once homeless veterans with a place to call home. Earlier this year, the San Bernardino County (SBC) Homeless Partnership, in collaboration with various government and community agencies, combined efforts to form the Homeless Veterans Community Planning Group. The group’s specific goal would be to work together and pool resources in order to provide supportive housing to 30 homeless veterans by Veterans Day 2016, a goal known as “Operation Reveille,” which originated with the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative as part of the nation-wide initiative to end Veterans homelessness. At a recognition ceremony held at the SBC Department of Behavioral Health in San Bernardino, the Homeless Veterans Community Planning Group and the veterans who received supportive housing gathered to celebrate having surpassed their original goal and to commemorate new beginnings. Wayne Owens, a Vietnam era veteran who received housing today shared his story saying, “I haven’t had a place to call my own home for twenty years. I’ve lived on the street, in a car or have stayed with others, but now, finally, I have a place - with my name on it.” According to Crystal Chavira, from KEYS, a SBC Housing Authority affiliate nonprofit, Owens has spent the past six years living on the streets of San Bernardino but will be housed with his name attached to the lease agreement. “The successes achieved by this year’s Operation Reveille serve as a great example of the collaborative effort of many to end Veterans homelessness in San Bernardino County,” said Karen Young-Lowe, CEO of LightHouse Social Service Centers and facilitator of the Homeless Veterans Community Planning Group. “The support of received by San Bernardino County CEO, Greg Devereaux, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Philip Mangano, community partners and agencies, have allowed us the ability to get this far and to continue our work towards the goal of ending homelessness for good.” In addition to housing, the veterans will receive intensive case management, employment services, job training, legal assistance, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, social security, Veterans benefits, financial counseling, health care, household supplies and other supportive services. "Building on the success of a San Bernardino County strategy that dramatically reduced veteran homelessness, the County's Homeless Services initiative is partnering with local homeless providers to create a 'surge' of veteran housing placements to reduce the number even further," indicated Philip Mangano who has worked with the County in fashioning a comprehensive homeless strategy. "Much credit goes to the Supervisors for supporting innovation and to Veterans Affairs Secretary McDonald who visited San Bernardino this year and affirmed the innovative initiatives adopted here." The Homeless Veterans Community Planning Group includes the SBC Department of Behavioral Health Office of Homeless Services, SBC Veterans Affairs, SBC Housing Authority, Loma Linda Veterans Affairs Hospital, Coordinated Entry, faith-based organizations, housing providers, non-profit agencies and businesses The SBCHP works to develop countywide public and private partnerships and to coordinate services and resources to end homelessness in San Bernardino County. Through this, SBCHP is helping to achieve the Countywide Vision by working to create a sustainable system of community health, public safety, and housing. Information on the Countywide Vision, the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership and the Department of Behavioral Health can be found at www.sbcounty.gov.