7/2/2019
Lake County Drives Veteran Homelessness to Zero
Led by the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless, Lake County Government and the Lovell Federal Healthcare Center (Lovell FHCC), Lake County is now among an elite group of communities throughout the nation that has officially ended veteran homelessness, based on certifications from both the federal government and Built for Zero, a national nonprofit organization. These organizations, as well as other partners, gathered at the Lake County Central Permit Facility earlier today to celebrate this accomplishment.
Since 2015, the partners have worked to double down on quickly housing veterans, improve coordination across service providers and providing innovative solutions to barriers that were keeping veterans homeless.
“Since the beginning of our efforts, the Coalition’s partner agencies have been working together to build a seamless system of care for homeless veterans. Strong, trusting relationships in the community were foundational to achieve the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Lake County,” said Sue Shimon, president of the Homeless Coalition.
Ending veteran homelessness does not mean that Lake County veterans are no longer facing challenges that may cause them to become homeless. Rather, it means that a coordinated system of care has been established that connects homeless veterans to housing and services, effectively ending their homeless status soon after they’ve been identified.
Byron Watts, a 53-year old Army veteran, described his life as full of “trials and tribulations” including a history of homelessness that dates back to 2000. All that changed when he entered the homeless walk-in center at Lovell FHCC. Watts said, “I have keys to an apartment that I can call my own now.”
With the support of the Lovell staff, Watts is confident that he can maintain his housing.
“The homeless programs at Lovell are focused on connecting veterans to resources throughout our facility and county to help return them to stability,” said Dr. Robert Buckley, Lovell FHCC Director. Lovell also has a residential treatment program for homeless veterans.
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart is proud that Lake County worked with other partners to effectively end homelessness for veterans in the county.
“I’m thrilled to see organizations working together to better our community, and it’s wonderful knowing that their hard work has helped to end veteran homelessness in Lake County,” said Chair Hart. “This is a major accomplishment for any community and an important milestone in working toward ending all types of homelessness in our community.”
While today’s celebration marks an important step, efforts will continue to prevent and immediately address veteran homelessness in Lake County.
“Our greatest need to sustain our success is housing. We need landlords willing to help veterans who have fallen on hard times to step forward and make more units available to these men and women who have served our country,” said Stephanie James of Lovell’s FHCC’s Homeless Program. Interested landlords can contact the Homeless Walk-In Center at 224-610-1148 or sign up for the landlord registry on the Homeless Coalition’s web page.
Veterans comprise only a portion of the homeless population in Lake County, and the Homeless Coalition is now setting its sights on the next big goal—ending chronic homelessness in Lake County by the end of the year.
About the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless:
The Lake County Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization open to all interested in contributing to an end to homelessness in Lake County. The twenty-five member organizations work collaboratively to create a high-functioning homeless service system and make funding recommendations for state and federal funding.
About the Lovell FHCC:
Lovell FHCC is the nation’s only integrated medical facility between the VA and the Department of Defense. It serves active duty military personnel, their families, military retirees and other veterans. Lovell FHCC, which is located in North Chicago, operates four Great Lakes Naval Station clinics and three community-based outpatient clinics in McHenry and Evanston, Ill. and Kenosha, Wis.
About Lake County Government:
Lake County Government’s Community Development Group is responsible for the management of Federal and local funding for affordable housing, infrastructure and public services. Community Development provides staff leadership to the volunteer-led Lake County Coalition for the Homeless and manages the Homeless Management Information System.
About Built for Zero:
Built for Zero is a national movement of more than 70 communities committed to ending veteran or chronic homelessness, which is coordinated by Community Solutions with lead sponsorship from Quicken Loans.
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