Delaware Becomes Third State to End Veteran Homelessness

Blog posted On November 30, 2016

Veterans Day has come and gone, but we still have a civic duty to serve those who have served.  This month, Delaware became the third state to end veteran homelessness.  Delaware’s State Housing Authority has found housing for 415 displaced veterans over the past two years. 

Delaware joins the ranks of Virginia and Connecticut as the only three states in the country to have effectively ended veteran homelessness.  In order to maintain this stability among its veteran population, a special task force will continue to meet every month and review a master list of homeless veterans that is updated every two weeks.  

Delaware State Housing Authority’s Director of Policy and Planning Marlena Gibson estimated about 60-80 veterans are currently living in shelters and they are working toward finding permanent housing.  The goal is to place homeless veterans into permanent housing within 90 days.

Vice President Joe Biden and Federal Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro congratulated DSHA’s efforts.  Castro cited that since 2010, national veteran homelessness has fallen by 47% and unsheltered veteran homelessness has dropped 57%.

At a Veterans Day event in Delaware, Vice President Biden said “veterans [are] not only the heart and soul - but also the spine of America," and saluted the 23 million surviving vets and their families who stand by and wait when they serve.

Sources: HousingWire, Delaware Public Media