A Push to End Veteran Homelessness in Binghamton
There’s a new push nationwide to end veteran homelessness city by city, and one city ready to take that challenge – Binghamton. Friday Mayor Rich David signed an agreement with the Office of Housing and Urban Development to pledge to use federal strategies and resources to end the problem. He also created a blue-ribbon commission to identify local homeless vets and find ways to get them into permanent housing.“Identify these individuals, find housing options for them, even if it means taking an abandoned building and working with our partners at the federal level to get funding to rehabilitate a building,” said David.
“The majority of it is getting us all together and saying, say the number is 20, whatever the number turns out to be and saying, ‘we can do this.’,” said Jamie Forero, Albany Field Office Director for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Among the reasons veterans can become homeless: poverty, lack of support from family or friends, substance use, or mental health challenges that may develop or worsen as a result of trauma they experience while serving. David says HUD estimates there are one to two dozen homeless vets in Binghamton.
Tags: Veterans News
