Birmingham VA makes strides to house homeless Veterans
The Birmingham VA Health Care System and community partners are being recognized for achievements in the successful permanent housing placement of 227 Veterans in 2022.
The initial goal for the Birmingham VA was to place 190 homeless Veterans into housing. The placement of 227 homeless Veterans represents over 119% of the targeted goal.
Last year VA established a goal to house 38,000 homeless Veterans nationally. In December 2022, VA exceeded the goal by over 6% by housing over 40,000 Veterans — an overall decrease of 11% of Veterans experiencing homelessness. The Birmingham VA Health Care System was instrumental in ensuring any Veteran experiencing homelessness has access to permanent housing as quickly as possible.
“The Birmingham VA can’t succeed alone. Our community partners in Birmingham and the surrounding region step up, prioritize and do everything possible to house Veterans,” said Ahmad Brewer, Homeless Veterans Coordinator for Birmingham VA Healthcare.
According to Dr. Ladi Kukoyi, Executive Director of the Birmingham VA Health Care System, the Birmingham VA contributed significantly to the VAs national success. “This goal was achieved through the hard work and dedication of our homeless programs staff, our grantees and contractors, and our valued community partners.”
Permanent housing placements provided by VA staff and community partners included apartments or houses that Veterans could rent or own, often with a subsidy to help make the housing more affordable. VA staff also helped some Veterans end their homelessness by reuniting with family and friends.
“The Birmingham VA Homeless Program staff are truly dedicated and guided by the principle that when Veterans have a place to call home, they are best able to benefit from the supportive services they need to stay in their homes long-term,” said Dr. Kukoyi. “Our combined community efforts not solely in 2022, but over the past several years have led to successfully placing our Veterans into housing quickly and permanently.”
All of these efforts are built on the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the wraparound support services they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and educational assistance, and more.
If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838). Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.