Program helping reduce numbers of homeless Oklahoma veterans

The number of homeless veterans in Oklahoma declined by more than 25 percent between 2009 and 2011, according to data released this month.

There were 475 homeless veterans in the state in 2009. Last year, agencies reported 356 homeless veterans, according to data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Local officials said the decline is part of a culture change that puts the full force of the Department of Veterans Affairs behind the initiative to reduce the number, with the overall goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015, announced in 2009 by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.

"The VA has put their money where their mouth is when it comes to them saying they want to end homelessness among veterans," said Greg Shinn, associate director of the Mental Health Association of Tulsa, which partners with the VA to provide stable situations for veterans and get them off the streets.

The VA has partnered with local agencies to help identify homeless veterans, get them stable housing then start working on what led to homelessness, from substance abuse to addictions to war-related physical and mental injuries.

rest of the article is at this link: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120130_11_A1_CUTLIN749882