The campaign’s website provides opportunities for community members to get involved, such as signing the statement calling for the resources to end veteran homelessness, and signing up to receive updates about the campaign’s progress. The website also features a blog with updates on the campaign’s success, and the progress being made towards housing homeless veterans in cities throughout the United States.

Our own progress is being made right here in Houston through the Housing Houston’s Heroes initiative. Begun in May 2012, 25 local homeless service providers (including nonprofits, government agencies, housing authorities, and the Coalition for the Homeless) set a goal to house 100 veterans in 100 days. On day 100, the 101st veteran was placed into housing. To accomplish this, the collaborative group identified many barriers that had to be broken, including the way our systems communicated with one another, the standard operating procedures of agencies which benefited the agency instead of the client, and the reallocation of resources to be used more effectively and efficiently.

Not satisfied with this small success, the group stayed together and continued to focus on housing veterans. By May 2013, 487 veterans had been housed. The commitment is now to house 170 veterans each month until December 2015 or until all homeless veterans are housed. No one agency could accomplish this alone; but through collaboration, Houstin is bringing hope, changing lives, and providing stable housing for all its residents.

For volunteer opportunities in Houston, click here for more information, or click here for our map with contact information for local homeless service agencies.