Providing Resources for Veteran Homelessness

FLORIDA HAS THE SECOND LARGEST VETERAN POPULATION IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS. THERE ALSO IS A LARGE NUMBER OF VETERANS FACING HOMELESSNESS WITH SOME ESTIMATES OF AROUND 4500 VETS WHO ARE UNHOUSED BUT WHERE CAN VETERANS GO WHEN THEY NEED HELP? WGCUS BRYANT MONTEILH SHARES LEE COUNTY'S EFFORTS TO HELP THOSE WHO SERVED. >> FLORIDA IS ONE OF THE MOST VETERAN FRIENDLY STATE AND THE NATION. BUT THE SUNSHINE STATE ALSO HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST HOMELESS VETERAN POPULATIONS IN THE U.S. COMPRISING 7% OF THE NATION'S TOTAL HOMELESS POPULATION. AND THAT'S ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND A GROWING VETERAN POPULATION REMAIN. THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR VETERANS IN FLORIDA AND LEE COUNTY. THERE ARE OVER 54,000 VETERANS AS OF 2024 LEE COUNTY'S HUMAN AND VETERAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WORKS TO HELP VETERANS IN SEVERAL WAYS. RODNEY VAN NESS IS THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR VETERAN SERVICES FOR LEE COUNTY. >> THE BIGGEST THING I WOULD SAY THAT COMPELS SOMETIMES THE VAST OR THE WIDE VARIETY OF BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VETERANS. THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN AS WE CAN HELP THEM NAVIGATE THAT SYSTEM. SO THAT WEATHER THERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE BENEFITS OF THAT BURNED ARE ENTITLED TO. >> VARIOUS OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO FIND VETERANS WHO MAY BE HOMELESS. ONE IS POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH HAPPENS ONCE A YEAR TO DETERMINE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS IN OUR AREA. HALA TOLL IS A HOMELESS IMPACT MANAGER FOR THE DEPARTMENT. >> EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE DO SOMETHING CALLED A POINT IN TIME. COUNT. IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE JANUARY WHERE WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, ON THE STREETS IN THE WOODS AT KNOWN. HOT SPOTS AND WE ARE SERVING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IT HAPPENS NATIONWIDE. AND IT'S BASICALLY A CENSUS COUNT. >> THE RESULTS FROM THE POINT IN TIME COUNT HELP THE COUNTY BEST ASSESS THE NEED WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE VETERANS WHO DESPERATELY NEED HELP WITH HOUSING AND OTHER SERVICES. VAN NESS EXPLAINS WHY SOME VETERANS MUST BE PUSHED AND ENCOURAGED TO RECEIVE THE HELP AVAILABLE WHITE. A VIETNAM VETERAN IN MY OFFICE EARLIER THIS WEEK. >> THAT HAS NEVER USED THE AM. HIS FRIENDS. HIS BROTHER KEPT CONVINCING THEM TO COME TO THE BE IR TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS BENEFITS AND THEY FINALLY MADE THAT EFFORT WITH THE HELP OF HIS WIFE TO MAKE THAT STEP TO COME IN TO SEE US. AND HELPING FALL FOR HIS DISABILITY HELPING WE'LL GET ENROLLED IN THE VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. >> TOW SHARES HOW EVERY VETERAN IS DIFFERENT AND HOW VETERANS SERVICES WORKS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST. >> I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE THERE IS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED CARE FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WE'RE INTERACTING WITH. SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT. MEETING SOMEONE WHERE THEY'RE AT AND IT'S HARD TO APPLY A SINGLE STANDARD OR APPROACH TO THE WHOLE SUBPOPULATION WHEN WE REALLY IT'S IT'S LIKE ABOUT LEARNING AND LISTENING AND FIGURING OUT EACH VETERAN OR INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS AND HELPING THEM GET THERE. >> THE MISSION IS TO EDUCATE THE VETERANS ON WHAT BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE AND HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM OF THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION. WE SAT DOWN WITH THE BETTER AND WE EDUCATE THEM ON THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO THEM. >> WE'LL GO THROUGH SPARS, BE A HEALTH CARE IF THEY HAD INJURIES WHILE THEY WERE ON ACTIVE DUTY, WE'VE FALLEN DISABILITY CLAIM. IF THERE ARE COMBAT VETERANS OR VIETNAM VETERANS. >> THE DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS OUTREACH LOCATIONS TO HELP VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. A KENNEDY CENTER IN CAPE CORAL ON THE 3RD FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THE BEACON OF HOPE ON PINE ISLAND ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. AND THESE LEA COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY ON THE SECOND FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH FOR WGCU NEWS IM BRYANT MONTEILH.