Viewpoint: A major step toward ending veteran homelessness – Missoula Current

Viewpoint: A major step toward ending veteran homelessness  Missoula Current

Jill Bonny writes, The Clark Fork will provide 20 transitional housing units for veterans experiencing homelessness and continue building on more than a decade of successful work helping veterans move from homelessness to stable housing. We have begun moving 16 veterans into the Clark Fork, our new Housing Montana Heroes site. This has been years in the making, and I’m so excited for our staff and the veterans we serve that we are finally here. Housing Montana Heroes began in 2015 through a partnership between the Poverello Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The program provides transitional housing and supportive services to veterans experiencing homelessness, helping them access healthcare, employment, VA benefits, behavioral health services, and permanent housing.

Since the program started, Housing Montana Heroes has operated on the second floor of the Poverello Center. Veterans lived in shared rooms with shared bathrooms while working with staff to achieve their housing goals. Over the past decade, the program has helped hundreds of veterans move from homelessness into stable housing. Over the years we operated the program inside the shelter, we served 431 veterans and provided nearly 62,000 nights of shelter. Those numbers tell us the program was working. We also realized that where someone lives matters. For veterans navigating trauma, mental health challenges, or substance use disorders, the