One state is celebrating a rare victory in the nationwide fight to end homelessness. Connecticut has implemented a comprehensive, unprecedented system to officially end homelessness among veterans.

Connecticut is the second state in the country, after Virginia, to end homelessness for its veterans, Governor Dan Malloy announced last week.

“The most important thing you can do for a family is to give it a safe home, a decent home,” Malloy told WNPR before adding: “a home that you can sustain yourself and your family in.”

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Malloy said the state has built the infrastructure, through a network of partnerships and investments, to the point at which housing and supports deliver a home to every veteran in our state.

The governor explained that “the federal government has certified Connecticut as having effectively ended homelessness among veterans.” Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) called him last week to confirm the state’s status.

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“Ending veteran homelessness is something to be proud of and this was made possible by the dedicated individuals on the ground working hard each and every day,” Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein said.

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Connecticut has achieved this goal through the coordinated leadership of the Reaching Home Campaign’s Veterans Workgroup, a collaboration among key stakeholders around the state, which includes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Hartford Field Office (HUD), VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACT), the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH), the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), the Connecticut Veterans Project (CTVP) and others.

According to HUD, almost 48,000 veterans were homeless last year. Yet, only 21 communities and two states have put the systems in place to end veteran homelessness. Connecticut is only the second state, after Virginia, to do so.

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