Arlington Committed to Ending Veteran Homelessness

Veteran Keli Green has found temporary housing at the Arlington Life Shelter.

For four years, Keli Green repaired tanks for the U.S. Army in Korea, then Fort Hood, Texas. Yet when Green completed her service in 2016, she felt lost.

"Every day in the Army, I had a plan. I knew what I was going to do, where I was going to work, what I was going to wear," Green said. “So going from Army life to civilian life I was very scared.” Green spent a couple of months bouncing from couch to couch, then to motel, before she found a temporary home — and lifeline — at the Arlington Life Shelter. Case workers there helped her find a job as a pantry assistant for Amazon, and she hopes to soon find a home of her own. Green’s story is not uncommon. Although a precise number is difficult to pinpoint because of the transient nature of homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that nearly 40,000 veterans are homeless on any given night across the country. That is why the City of Arlington has joined Zero 2016, a national campaign that aims to end veteran and chronic homelessness. "For people who have served our country, integrating back into society after service can be difficult,” said Sheryl Kenny, Grants Program Manager for the City of Arlington. “We want to make sure people get the help they need. We do not want to see one person fall through the cracks." As part of Zero 2016, Arlington is working closely with the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, numerous nonprofit organizations, housing providers and veteran’s groups to identify homeless veterans and quickly connect them to housing and other resources. Partnerships with Veterans Affairs, a push for more affordable housing and growing referral services are underway. In 2016, the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition counted 333 homeless people in Arlington, either living in shelters or on the street. Of those, 12 were veterans. In 2015, various agencies served 98 homeless veterans in Arlington. Andrea Edwards, a U.S. Navy veteran who is now a caseworker for Arlington Life Shelter, said numerous factors can influence homelessness among veterans, including a shortage of affordable housing, lack of transportation, substance abuse, access to health care and lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. All ages are affected. "In our head, we picture homeless veterans as single older men," Edwards said, "But in recent years, we have seen an uptick in younger veterans, as well." Regardless of age, advocates say the lack of affordable housing remains the biggest barrier for most. A new collaboration between Arlington Housing Authority and Veterans Affairs will seek to close that gap, providing 10 housing vouchers to veterans and their families. Case workers will help veterans navigate the process of searching for an apartment, filling out applications and paying for security deposits.

The Arlington Housing Authority and Veterans Affairs will provide 10 housing vouchers to veterans and their families. Case workers will help veterans like Keli Green, pictured above, navigate the process of searching for an apartment, filling out applications and paying for security deposits.

The Housing Authority will receive referrals from Arlington Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, which works to identify and help homeless people across the city. Led by Community Support Manager Stephanie Gillespie, the team works with caseworkers from Veterans Affairs and Tarrant County Mental Health Mental Retardation.

In some cases, police officers provide housing referrals, a hot meal or clean clothes and shoes that fit, Gillespie said. In others, they might help veterans obtain a bus ticket to Fort Worth so they can have transportation to work. Some people are connected to the Texas Workforce Commission for help finding a job. "The majority of veterans do not want a handout or any help. They want to be self-sufficient," Gillespie said. "Every story is different, and we try to treat every story with dignity." For Green, the help she received from the Arlington Life Shelter was instrumental in regaining independence. She hopes to soon start school on the GI bill and wants to eventually work as a nurse. "I enlisted in the Army because I wanted more out of my life," she said. "Now I’m excited to start the rest of my life."

For four years, Keli Green repaired tanks for the U.S. Army in Korea, then Fort Hood, Texas. She was honorably discharged earlier this year.