Central Florida officials vow ‘no veteran will be left behind’ ahead of influx of federal cash to house homeless
Fueled by a surge of funding from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida has plans to rapidly rehouse homeless veterans in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.
Officials Wednesday announced a campaign following a promise of $6.7 million in federal grants — double last year’s total — to connect veterans and their families with a range of resources from rental assistance and housing expenses, to medical care and other support.
The money will not only offer more services but also help families receive them quicker, the network said. It also is meant to help those who may presently have housing but are at risk of falling into homelessness. The campaign vowed that “no veteran will be left behind.”
“Now is the time that Central Florida will engage in the final push to ensure that our veterans receive the support that they need and deserve,” said Martha Are, the CEO of the Central Florida Homeless Network. “We have the ability to help more veterans and more families than ever before.”
The region has effectively ended homelessness among veterans with disabilities, Are said, but a recent federal census found there are at least 189 veterans experiencing homelessness in Central Florida. That figure is widely considered to be an undercount.
As a whole, the metro area counted a 5% increase in people experiencing homelessness in the last year, according to the federal count. It’s about a 75% increase from 2019, which is prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase is blamed primarily on rising rents and housing costs, as well as a shortage of available affordable housing.
“We know a number of people are experiencing homelessness due to things that were exacerbated by the pandemic and the lack of affordable housing, and the mental health crisis and opioid crisis,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “That’s why the No Veteran Left Behind initiative is so important.”
Federal funding will allow the Homeless Services Network to rapidly rehouse veterans and provide necessary wrap-around services to treat conditions such as substance abuse or addressing mental health.
Distrust, past trauma and not knowing whether they qualify for help are among the barriers that have kept veterans from applying for previous aid, the network said in a release.
The network is currently supporting about 750 veterans in housing programs, Are said.
“It’s not enough,” she said. “It’s not enough because we know there are veterans still out there who are struggling and are suffering without a roof over their heads.”
Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari said the effort is a chance to compassionately respond to veterans with complicated challenges, and show gratitude for their service.
“It takes compassion; it takes funding; and it takes the ability to show them the way home,” he said. “It’s not just a house, it’s not just a place to put a head on a bed, but it’s a chance to go home.”
