Issue will be further explored at 2012 NCHV Annual Conference

WASHINGTON — On July 27, 2011, The Home Depot Foundation and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), hosted a historic conference in San Antonio on increasing the availability of housing for low-income veteran families and formerly homeless veterans graduating from assistance programs. NCHV has compiled a comprehensive report on the “Veteran Access to Housing Summit,” informed by more than 125 nonprofit homeless veteran service providers, builders, financial experts, representatives of VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and leaders of national charitable organizations.

Four intensive, strategic work sessions were held at the summit, focusing on the following areas: (1) multifamily housing, (2) single-family housing, (3) transition-in-place initiatives, and (4) public-private partnerships. Participants in these work sessions were charged with sharing innovative and replicable practices, ideas and recommendations that could have an immediate impact on the availability of permanent, affordable housing for homeless veterans and those at high risk of homelessness due to health and economic hardships.

NCHV’s three-volume report on the Veteran Access to Housing Summit provides an overview of each work session discussion, followed by profiles of organizations and programs that have been effective in creating and expanding housing opportunities for homeless and low-income veterans and their families.

Summit organizers hope the report helps inform federal agency officials of stakeholders’ ideas, concerns and recommendations for actions that could increase access to permanent housing for homeless veterans and veterans at high risk of homelessness. The report is also offered as a tool to help local planning authorities and service providers consider effective, innovative and practical strategies to rapidly increase the availability of permanent housing options to end and prevent veteran homelessness in their communities. This issue will be further explored at the 2012 NCHV Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., May 30 through June 1, 2012.

For more information and to download the report from the Veteran Access to Housing Summit, please visit www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=337.