Berke Announces That Homelessness Among Veterans In Chattanooga Has Been Effectively Ended

Saying that, “These men and women have fought for our freedom, they shouldn’t have to fight for a place to sleep,” Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke announced that homelessness among veterans has been effectively ended in the city.

Over 100 citizens, veterans, National Guardsmen, service providers, volunteers and task force workers gathered Thursday afternoon at the Tennessee National Guard Armory to celebrate this very important milestone. The source for this announcement was a letter from Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Mr. Doherty wrote, in a letter dated Feb. 3, “The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs are pleased to confirm that the City of Chattanooga has effectively ended homelessness among Veterans.”

The mayor, in his 2014 State of the City address, pledged to end veterans’ homelessness in Chattanooga. He next signed an Executive Order establishing a Veterans Task Force to find solutions. The Task Force was co-chaired by Councilman Chip Henderson and Donna Maddox.

In just under three years 244 veterans have been housed. Chattanooga joins a list of cities that include Phoenix, Arizona and Salt Lake City, Utah in eradicating this challenge facing our Veterans across the country. Mayor Berke said, “This is the Chattanooga Way. Over the last two years a group of people stood up and said, ‘Not in my city!’”

Theodore Young, Jr., a VA case worker, though he himself not a veteran, said, “It is an honor to serve individuals who sacrificed so much for our country.” Mr. Young ventured that presently there are about 85 active vouchers being handled by he and his fellow case workers, although hundreds of vets have been helped.

He went on to say that there generally several reasons a veteran might need help, “they may return from service without a family to support them, there may be other challenges such as mental illness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or traumatic injuries such as loss of limbs or traumatic brain injury.”

Mr. Young pointed out that it’s not just homelessness that he and his co-workers help with. They also help vets walk through the entire VA system.

“We honor them as heroes and they need our country to support them,” he said, “Not just the VA but our communities at large. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge the work the VA and our community has accomplished.”

Mayor Berke concluded his remarks by saying, “Very few cities have done this. We are the first in our state. It is exciting and we are here to celebrate these men and women who woke up every day and put on a uniform to protect the greatest country in the world.”