Veterans have alarmingly been overrepresented in the homeless population for many years. As reported by the Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), North Carolina has about 9,280 people experiencing homelessness on any given day. Of that total, 798 of them were veterans. Our veterans face unique challenges that may hinder them from finding safe, affordable housing. Such challenges include unemployment, a lack of affordable housing, disability, and social isolation.
At CASA, we work hard to provide veterans with access to permanent, affordable housing. In 2012, we took the initiative to increase veterans served by focusing our new construction and renovation efforts specifically to end veteran homelessness. Since then, we have created 55 homes designated for veterans and currently serve 103 veterans.
Our veteran communities are located within walking distance of public transportation and are close to the local Veterans Administration (VA) facility. For many years, CASA has partnered with the VA to benefit veterans in the Triangle. VA case managers or social workers are often the ones who connect prospective tenants to CASA, helping them apply for their benefits, HUD-VASH vouchers, and submit any required paperwork to CASA. CASA’s housing specialists stay in constant communication with VA case managers to communicate tenant needs and check in on a tenant’s well-being. VA case managers aid our CASA tenants by connecting them with additional services, including financial assistance, transportation, food, behavioral health/therapy, and medical assistance.
At CASA, we believe the solution to homelessness is housing. We hope to expand to serve even more veterans in the Triangle by providing them with a safe, permanent, and affordable home.