Mr. Bridges worked closely with SSVF Staff, Ahmed

Salimon and Grace Fisher, to stabilize his housing.

As local agencies continue their efforts to

end veteran homelessness, more focus is being placed on how to keep veterans housed. Em-ployment is a key factor in securing and sus-taining housing, especially in DC’s expensive housing market. However, many veterans are experiencing difficulty finding jobs.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington D.C. had the highest rate of veter-an unemployment in the nation in 2015. With the emergence of “Housing First” as the lead-ing strategy to house homeless clients, some veterans are finding it difficult to remain in stable housing without income to sustain the unit after housing subsidies are exhausted.

Seeing this trend, local area Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) providers, veteran transitional housing providers, DC agencies, and job readiness organizations are partnering to strengthen the link between veterans and employment services in the Dis-trict. On April 27th 2016, Housing Counseling Services, U.S. Vets, Friendship Place, Chesa-

HOUSING OUR HEROES

H O U S I N G C O U N S E L I N G S E R V I C E S I N C . S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

Local Organizations Rally Around Veteran Employment

On a brisk sunny afternoon, the smell of pork chops

and cabbage– one of Mr. Bridges favorite meals– wafted through his new home in Northeast DC. Grinning ear to ear, Mr. Bridges was excited to have company and sit down to share his journey through years of homelessness to finally having a place to call home.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Roosevelt “Duke” Bridg-es enlisted in 1953 at the age of 19 and served in the Korean War. He received both the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Occupation Medal for his service abroad in the U.S. Air Force. After 1956, Mr. Bridges was honorably dis-charged from the military.

Since 1999, Mr. Bridges has faced a host of health and housing issues. His VA case manager, Taloria Stanley, reached out to Housing Counseling Services (HCS) in September 2015, seeking housing resources for Mr. Bridges. Grace Fisher and Ahmed Salimon, SSVF Eligibility Specialists, met with Mr. Bridges and Taloria to start an application for the program. Initially he brushed off assistance, but after many breakfast dates with Grace and Ahmed discussing his life and plans for the future, Mr. Bridges began to open up about his struggles, and over time, he agreed to seek housing. The VA, HCS, and

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Nearly Two Decades of Homelessness Ends for 81 Year Old Vet

peake Health Education Program (CHEP), Access Hous-ing, Veterans on the Rise, A Wider Circle, Easter Seals, DC Department of Employment Services and Thrive DC came together to host the DC Veterans Job Preparation Clinic. Tammi Lambert, the Director of the DC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, served as the opening speak-er of the event, and expressed her support for more intensive efforts to boost veteran employment.

Roosevelt “Duke” Bridges in front of

his new apartment in Northeast DC.

The all day workshop series included resume/cover letter writing, motivational speeches by fellow veterans, preparing for an Interview when you have a record, job fair to job offer, and how to dress to impress. A host of volunteers from each organization were on hand for “breakout” sessions where veterans could work one-on-one and ask specific questions about their resumes and job search. Breakfast and lunch was donated by DC Central Kitchen and CHEP. Twenty seven veterans attended the event, and the group plans to continue its collaborative efforts to organize a series of veteran job fairs and job clinics in the coming months.

Announcements:

Calling all DC/MD/VA area landlords! Please email unit vacancy info to ssvfprogram@housingetc.org or call (202) 667-7006

Know a homeless veteran who needs help? Call the HCS SSVF Program at (202) 667-7006.

the DC Department of Human Services (DC DHS) utilized the “bridge housing” model in which he was offered a housing voucher, and was moved off the street into transi-tional housing while a permanent unit was being located.

After 17 years, Mr. Bridges signed his own lease in Janu-ary 2016 and moved into his home, newly furnished by DC DHS. When asked what advice he’d give to other veterans in his position, Mr. Bridges stated with a big grin, “I’d send them to Grace and Ahmed. They’ll get them right.”

From left to right: Greg Crawford (Access Housing), Layla Wynn (HCS), Christopher Rollins (DC DOES),

Michael Strong (CHEP), Quentin Lawson (Motivational

Speaker), Kim Canary (A Wider Circle), Michael Ervin

(DC DOES), and Jemahl Nixon (Thrive DC).

When asked about his first interaction with the HCS SSVF Program, Mr. Saleem stated, “I didn’t know about the organization (HCS) until I was contacted by one of your case managers. She explained the pro-gram and I worked with her to lease up two veterans.”

When discussing his tenant selection process, Mr. Saleem explained, “I know I’m apart of the help pro-cess. So I try to be lenient when screening them. I give them a shot. Everybody needs a place to live.” Mr. Saleem has rented to several veterans in the HCS SSVF Program over the past two years. While speaking about how he could encourage other landlords to get involved, he stated, “I think they should learn more about veterans. And learn more about HCS. You do a great job of helping them and it’s a team effort.” He continued, “We owe them something back. Veterans put their life on the line. I believe they can continue to move forward beyond renting. Become homeowners even.”

Mr. Proctor also rents to veterans enrolled in the HCS SSVF Program and currently leases 10 properties in the DC area. While discussing his experience with the program, he stated, “ I’ve worked closely with two case managers and they’ve been really helpful with both the client and myself. They’ve been really accom-modating and straight forward, understanding the landlord’s interest and the tenant’s interest.” He also talked about the benefits of HCS providing tenant rights education to its clients. “Its great because they know they are signing a lease, they understand what it means and their responsibility going forward.”

Despite being a landlord for 35 years, Mr. Proctor faced his share of hardship at a young age. He ex-

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. (HCS) is a HUD approved nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that provides comprehensive housing counseling, training and advocacy for low- and moderate-income tenants, homebuyers, and homeowners. Our goal is to build sustainable communities through informed housing consumers. HCS is funded by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development; DC Department of Health HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration; DC Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking; US Department of Housing and Urban Development; US Department of Veterans Affairs; DC Department of Human Services; DC Housing Finance Agency; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Meyer Foundation; Enterprise Community Partners; Capital One Bank; DC Office of Human Rights; Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs; Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs and your generous donations.

United Way NCA Donor Designation# 8532

Mr. Proctor, a landlord for 35 years and deacon

at his church, relates to veterans in need of help.

He experienced homelessness at a young age.

plained, “You may not have this or that, but you can’t let those things turn you around. I was homeless as a child and my family moved to Mitchellville, Maryland where we had nothing but a hope and a promise. That’s where I learned how hard work and effort can go a long way.” His father eventually overcame his financial hardship and became a landlord, passing the knowledge down to him. He explained, “Because of that experience, I understand what some people face.” Mr. Proctor is actively involved with his church and works at Oak Street Retreat, an assist-ed living facility. He’s interested in developing more transi-tional housing for veterans in Prince George’s County.

Landlords Join Call to Action by Easing Barriers for Veteran Renters

3 Reasons Why You Should Rent Your Home to Our Vets!

LANDLORDS

1.

“Smart” Renters. Our clients receive counseling and training on personal budgeting, understanding

rental agreements, general unit upkeep, and how to be a good neighbor.

Eliminate advertising costs. Working with our program gives you access to a pool of ready-to

-rent tenants! Call us when you have a vacant unit, and we will work to match you with a client that is look-

ing for housing.

Satisfaction from helping veterans. Our veterans have served our country and deserve

a safe and affordable place to live. By helping house our clients, you are playing an integral role in helping

veterans take charge of their lives and get back on track!

2.

3.

Mr. and Mrs. Saleem have rented to several

veterans enrolled in the HCS SSVF Program.

While the DC region’s housing market contin-

ues to heat up, many supportive housing programs are finding it more difficult to locate affordable units, especially for clients with not-so-perfect cred-it and rental histories. However, some landlords are answering the call by partnering with local pro-grams to offer their available units to homeless veterans in need.

Mr. Saleem and his wife have leased units in the DC area for 33 years. Their family business owns properties in College Park, Beltsville, and Laurel.

If you have available units, please contact HCS SSVF Program today at (202) 667-7006!

Editor: Layla Wynn (laylawynn@housingetc.org)