National League of Cities: Military Communities Council Focuses on Needs of Veterans
National League of Cities: Military Communities Council Focuses on Needs of Vet…
I recently attended the National League of Cities (NLC) 2013 Congressional City Conference in Washington, DC. While there, I heard elected officials speak of issues they face in their cities – large cities trended toward transportation and smaller cities spoke of growth and business retention. What all cities, large and small, have in common are issues facing veterans.
No matter the size of your city, we are seeing common challenges for veterans across the country. The issues veterans are facing today include permanent housing, employment, and health issues. The challenges and gaps in services include access to permanent supportive housing; outreach to veterans living in rural areas; serving the housing needs of female veterans; reducing the amount of time it takes to place a veteran who is homeless into stable housing; and access to employment.
National League of Cities saw the importance of giving our military communities a voice and created a Military Communities Council. The Council is a space for elected officials to come together and discuss issues facing current military and veterans and find solutions that will help veterans thrive in their community. They focus on many veteran and military family issues around providing jobs, housing, education and health care. The network has also provided an excellent channel and connection for the veteran housing work NLC is currently doing in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation is working in partnership with NLC to create awareness among our elected officials through educating them on the issues facing veterans and establishing a strong network of partners providing direct services to veterans. Veteran homelessness cannot be solved by one entity – it takes all of us working collaboratively to find viable solutions to house our heroes and protect them the way they selflessly have protected us.
We thank our partners for their ongoing work and commitment. Together we will ensure every veteran has a safe place to call home.
- Heather Pritchard, Manager of National Partnerships, The Home Depot Foundation
View The Home Depot Foundation Blog here.
