From the sidewalk to home: Birmingham VA houses Veterans, exceeds 2022 goal

To support VA's goal to house 38,000 homeless Veterans nationally, BVAHCS's objective was to place 190 homeless Veterans into housing. The placement of 227 homeless Veterans represents over 119% of the targeted goal.

"No Veteran should be without a place to call home," said Ahmad Brewer, Homeless Veterans Coordinator for Birmingham VA Health Care. "Regardless of the reason they may find themselves in their current situation, our homeless program staff are committed to ending homelessness among our nation's heroes."  

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 helps some Veterans end their homelessness by reuniting with family and friends.

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.

"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."

BVAHCS homeless program at work

After leaving the military and going through a divorce, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Kenneth C.’s once-structured lifestyle began to spiral downwards. 

His experimenting with drugs led to a 31-year addiction. After no longer being able to maintain a full-time job and having multiple run-ins with law enforcement, he found himself living on the streets of Gadsden, Alabama.

For four years, family and friends would take Kenneth in, but his drug use caused many people to sever ties with him. He became homeless. After living on the streets and in abandoned houses for six years, he made a promise to a dying Purple Heart recipient to get his life on track.

In September 2017, Kenneth boarded a one-way transit from Rainbow City to Birmingham and enrolled in the BVAHCS. His frail body weighed a little over 100 pounds.

"I had multiple issues when I arrived in Birmingham," said Kenneth. "I felt depleted in every facet of life; financially, mentally, and physically. I had ruined all of my relationships. I had no housing, transportation, or employment. I didn't even have an email address until I enrolled in VA." 

Kenneth was placed in Birmingham VA transitional housing and began treatment for addiction and depression. He gained employment through the BVAHCS Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program. An attorney appointed to him through the Veterans Help Desk, a partnership between BVAHCS and the Birmingham Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program, allowed him to obtain assistance with getting four criminal convictions removed from his record and over $10,000 in traffic tickets and various court fees. 

"I would relapse after my drug treatment programs in the past because they didn't offer the full spectrum of services I received at the Birmingham VA," said Kenneth. "Not only did VA provide me with housing, but I received addiction treatment, financial assistance, and a lot of health care services."

While living in transitional housing, Kenneth also took advantage of VA education assistance. He completed the Virginia College CDL Combination Truck Driver Training, licensing him to operate up to 53-foot tractor-trailers.

"Because I lived in transitional housing, I was able to save most of my earnings," he said. "My credit score rose to over 760 points." 

After four years of treatment, Kenneth, now sober, felt he had the tools to step back out on his own. He purchased a home, owns two personal vehicles and a passport, and works as a long-haul truck driver, traveling around the country.

"Before enrolling in VA, I existed, but I wasn't living," said Kenneth. "The Birmingham VA restored a sense of balance to my life. It wasn't easy, but my homeless services care coordinator never gave up on me."

Brewer applauds Kenneth for his perseverance and VA for its Veteran-centered approach to care.

"Kenneth's success speaks to the Whole Health and Patient Centered approach to care provided by the Birmingham VA," he said. "Our homeless program not only seeks to provide Veterans experiencing homelessness with access to housing, but also to provide services to the Veteran to address the circumstances that may have led to, and may continue to keep Veterans in homeless status. We realize housing a Veteran is only one step, but we must also address issues such as health care, legal issues, lack of income, and financial literacy." 

Making sure everyone's counted

In late January, Kukoyi, Victoria Corvin (BVAHCS Chief of Social Work Service), and six Health Care for Homeless Veterans staff members participated in the 2023 One Roof Continuum of Care Point-in-Time (PIT) Count for downtown Birmingham.

The PIT count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) require that Continuums of Care conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night.

The BVAHCS staff members located and surveyed 15 homeless community members and provided them with blankets, snack bags, hygiene kits, hats, and gloves. The surveys provided vital information to help HUD better understand the needs of the unsheltered in the community and how VA and other service organizations can work to make Central Alabama a place where no man, woman, or child has to experience homelessness.

"It's important to mention that none of the individuals surveyed by our group were Veterans," said Kukoyi. "With the combined efforts of our Homeless Veteran program staff and community partners, I am confident we will continue to see measurable reductions in Veteran homelessness in the years to come."

If you are or know of a Veteran who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, depression, or transition from jail, contact the BVAHCS Homeless Program Outreach Social Worker at 205-957-5642 or the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838).