Harbor Care Convenes Summit on Veteran Homelessness as Number of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Increase
HENNIKER, N.H. – The number of veterans experiencing homelessness in NH has steadily increased over the past six months. This is after nearly three years of remaining flat while overall homelessness numbers spiked in the state.
Harbor Care, New Hampshire’s largest nonprofit service provider for veterans, hosted a summit this Wednesday to address this issue. The summit convened local, state, and federal stakeholders, including service providers, veterans with lived experience, developers, rental property owners, and policymakers, including Juana Matias, HUD Regional Administrator, and U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas.
Since 2020, the active number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the state hovered between 100 and 120 individuals. In 2023 the number increased to a high of approximately 160 veterans in May.
Veterans Summit
Left to right: Rob Dapice, CEO, NH Housing & Finance Authority; Juana Matias, Regional Administrator, Dept. Housing & Urban Development; David Tille, Director of Veteran Services, Harbor Care; Rep. Chris Pappas; Henry Och, President and CEO
“There are several factors contributing to this upward trend,” states Henry Och, President & CEO of Harbor Care. “The end of the COVID-related federal health emergency meant the end of several important resources to support veterans in crisis. That said, increased collaboration amongst service providers has resulted in faster identification of veterans at-risk of, or experiencing homelessness. This prompt coordination of care and resources has increased prevention, keeping more veterans housed. When a veteran has fallen into homelessness, we’ve been able to respond quicker to get that veteran into stable housing.”
An example of this increased coordination is demonstrated in Harbor Care’s outcome of helping 215 veterans secure permanent housing since June 2022.
A common theme throughout the summit was the lack of affordable housing. Veterans experiencing homelessness, who are engaged in services, ready to move into their own apartment, are waiting months for a unit to become available. The summit featured sessions dedicated to engaging rental property owners as key to ending veteran homelessness. Harbor Care’s Veterans FIRST program hosted the event. The summit was generously sponsored by Bank of America.
Matias, Kuster, and Pappas all participated in the summit with each committing to continued efforts to support veteran housing.
HUD Regional Administrator Juana Matias:
“As President Biden has often said, it is our nation’s sacred obligation to support veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” said Juana B. Matias, Regional Administrator for HUD New England. “To this end, his administration has made bold and major investments and implemented a ‘whole of government’ approach to ending homelessness, particularly veteran homelessness, and his Fiscal Year 2024 budget provides historic care for America’s veterans. I am very pleased that Harbor Care has been able to leverage these investments and continue the very impactful work it does to serve veterans with quality housing, medical/ behavioral and comprehensive wrap-around services.”
U.S. Rep Annie Kuster:
“Our veterans sacrifice so much for our country – it’s essential that we support them when they return home,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “That includes providing safe, quality, affordable housing for service members and their families. This is an issue I’ve been focused on throughout my time in Congress. I’ve been proud to increase funding for the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, which makes projects like Harbor Care’s Boulder Point Veterans Housing in Plymouth possible. While we have made important progress, more work remains. Today’s summit was a key opportunity to discuss how we can end veteran homelessness, address veteran suicide rates, and deliver for our service members and their families.”
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas:
"I was grateful to have the chance to join advocates and community leaders at Harbor Care's New Hampshire Summit to End Veteran Homelessness," said Congressman Chris Pappas. "This is an important event that brings together veterans, experts in the housing, health care, and mental health communities, as well local and state leaders who are working together to find solutions to address the issue of veteran homelessness. Thanks to the hard work of advocates like these, we've made progress in reducing veteran homelessness. But we all know that one homeless hero is too many. That is why as a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I remain committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that every veteran who has fought to keep our homes safe has a home of their own when their service ends."
Each year, Harbor Care’s Veterans FIRST program helps more than 450 veterans and their families access stable housing, medical, dental, and mental health care, substance use treatment, and employment services.
Harbor Care effectively ended veteran homelessness in greater Nashua in 2017 and now endeavors to replicate the success statewide.
Harbor Care is an innovative non-profit organization, providing housing, health care, and human services, helping more than 5,000 adults, children, and families of New Hampshire each year find solutions to many of life’s most challenging issues. The organization provides high quality housing and residential services; medical, dental, and mental healthcare; substance use treatment; HIV/AIDS care; employment; and veteran services. For further information, visit www.harborcarenh.org.