by Bill Maddick
VETERAN ’ S CORNER
The VA Effort Against Homelessness
The lobby at 3030 Downing looks like a lobby of any other public health facility . There is a front door in the center , flanked by two large windows on either side , that open into a clean , neat and well lighted room . The receptionist counter is large , revealing tables , file cabinets and phones behind , and there is enough seating to accommodate ten or so , with an internal door adjacent to the main door that intuitively draws your attention . Access to it is gained by completing an intake procedure and being called inside--just like at a doctor ’ s office .
A couple of veterans were seated when I entered , and Missy Mish , Program Manager of the Community Resource & Referral Center ( CRRC ), noticed the arrival . She said hi and , as anticipated , proceeded to open the internal door for my admittance . Being the Program Manager for the Community Resource & Referral Center , at this location , the entire facility is under her authority .
The Community Resource & Referral Center just opened in March of 2012 as the first center of its kind in the country . The VA has been actively dealing with homelessness since the Civil War ( those agencies that ultimately merged into the VA , at least ) and has more experience with it than any other government agency ; so much so that they garnered $ 1.64 billion for veteran homeless programs in the President ’ s 2015 budget . The Community Resource & Referral Center is a product of such effort and the VA website summarized it as follows : “ Denver has one of a handful of fully operational VA Community Resource & Referral Centers , which are designed to better serve Veterans who are homeless .
The Denver Community Resource & Referral Center provides one-stop-shop services to Veterans where they are in the community . On a walk-in basis , Veterans can access job training resources , substance use treatment , mental health counseling , housing resources , showers and hygiene kits , storage for their belongings , and other needed assistance .”
Walking through the internal door , a main room filled with office cubicles becomes visible where fifty of the various staff of this facility work . Progressing around on the side of this , we stop at a little open area behind the receptionist counter which appears to be the only space accommodating enough to have an out-of-theway conversation in an otherwise compact facility ( the conference room was in use ). Here , Missy explains that the focus of this center is outreach and engagement for those who don ’ t know they have benefits , and that they get forty to sixty people walking through the front door on any given day . “ It ’ s about building relationships ,” she says , and offers that there are an estimated 500 homeless veterans in the Denver metro area .
Continuing the tour , we approach a couple of private rest rooms with showers that are open to use by homeless veterans ( laundry services are also available ). There is also a storage area available for veterans use , wherein each person must keep their belongings in a standard tote bag on a designated shelf space for
www . thunderroadscolorado . com up to thirty days . In addition , veterans have access to counselors , VA representatives and employment services here , along with peer groups and PTSD groups . As well , the center keeps three people in the field daily , monitoring food lines of various charities around the city as well as tracking the chronic homeless to let them know that services are available , so that many veterans find their way here by referral . It offers a safe oasis for those in need and for those transitioning , even though there still remains that twenty percent of homeless who seem chronically resigned to the fact that they can never find housing .
It is hard enough to hold it together and keep a roof over your head even if you are employed and have a support group . For those without a job or a support group , who may be in poor mental and physical health , and who may be a victim of trauma or catastrophe , trying to keep a roof over your head can become impossibility . One of the tools that the VA uses in its effort against homelessness is the administration of subsidies . Two that Missy explained are : 1 ) VA Grants that are temporary and function on a per diem basis . These are often applied to a homeless shelter and can sometimes be used at hotels to at least keep a veteran off the street for a brief period of time . 2 ) HUD vouchers for permanent housing which are provided through a collaborative between HUD and the VA . These are intended for permanent housing and it requires that the veteran pay thirty percent of the rent themselves . Currently , the Community Resource & Referral Center has fifty veterans that are eligible for these vouchers yet can ’ t find housing in the Denver area because of high rent prices . Further , there are some veterans who have lost their housing , even though they have a voucher , because the price of rent has increased beyond what the government can approve for said vouchers . Essentially , they get kicked out when the rent goes up .
Veterans have a higher percentage of homelessness than any other demographic , which is why the VA has put the effort into its outreach programs that it has . It is a serious enough effort that Missy left the homeless program at St . Francis Center to become the director here at the Community Resource & Referral Center . She says that , “ You can ’ t end homelessness at the federal level , it has to be local .” So she continues to successfully run this program at the community level , which was a pilot program just three years ago . And it may be the best program there is , among many , to fight homelessness .
When I asked Missy if this location would be the best place to start if anyone was facing homelessness or if anyone knew of someone who was , she was shaking her head affirmatively before I even finished the sentence . Missy and her staff are serious about what they do and they deserve credit for it .
So readers , if you might be having a tough time right now yourself or if you might know a veteran who is , your place of refuge and support is the Community Resources & Referral Center at 3030 Downing St , Denver . Or call them at 303-294-5610 for more information . Walk-ins are welcome .
January 2016 Thunder Roads Magazine ® Colorado 17