Veteran homelessness is a big problem, but not one too big to be solved.
In fact, 11 communities across the country have effectively ended veteran homelessness.
How did they do it? With the help of Built for Zero, a national effort designed to end homelessness in committed U.S. communities.
A New Model For Understanding And Ending Homelessness
Led by the nonprofit Community Solutions, Built for Zero gives communities a framework for addressing the problem of homelessness in a way that’s proven to drive reductions. There are four major steps to the Built for Zero process.
1) Build A Command Center: Within any given community, there are many different agencies working on the problem of homelessness, but too often they’re working separately. In Built for Zero communities, all of the relevant agencies come together to form a command center that gets everyone working together toward the same goal.
2) Measure Real-Time Data: To understand any problem, you need good data. Many communities still only measure the number of people experiencing homelessness in their community once a year. Built for Zero ensures communities are building a comprehensive by-name list of people experiencing homelessness and tracking this information in real time.
3) Optimize Resources: By using accurate, updated data on homelessness, communities are able to make smarter investments. They’re able to improve their homeless response system to more effectively connect people with the housing and support they need.
4) Measure Success: Through Built for Zero, communities track their progress and measure what works and what doesn’t so they can prioritize the solutions that are driving reductions.
With this approach, Built for Zero communities have shown that ending veteran homelessness is not only possible, it’s happening. Right now, 85 U.S. communities are a part of the Built for Zero movement and 11 communities have ended veteran homelessness or chronic homelessness. Since 2015, these communities have housed more than 113,000 people total, including more than 71,000 veterans, proving the incredible success of the initiative.
The Rocket Mortgage® Commitment
The success of Built for Zero’s innovative approach has not gone unnoticed. As America’s largest mortgage lender1, Rocket Mortgage® built its success on providing innovative solutions to its clients and was interested in supporting partners in the community who shared these values. When the company learned about the incredible success of Built for Zero, it was moved to action and joined the movement as a core corporate sponsor in 2018.
For Rocket Mortgage®, housing America’s heroes is a natural extension of the company’s long legacy of supporting veterans and veteran causes. In addition to supporting Built for Zero, Rocket Mortgage® is proud to be one of America’s top VA lenders, as well as a nationally-recognized veteran employer.
Helping Our “Neighbors”
In addition to providing financial support for the Built for Zero movement, Rocket Mortgage® wanted to take its commitment one step further and start a national conversation around the issue of veteran homelessness. That led to the development of “Neighbors,” a powerful new marketing campaign that seeks to change perceptions about individuals who experience homelessness.
In this campaign, Rocket Mortgage® shares the stories of four veterans who experienced homelessness and were successfully housed through the efforts of their communities. Each veteran’s story is unique and shows how homelessness can be resolved when people get the help they need. To see all of the stories, and to see how Rocket Mortgage® is working to make sure all of our neighbors in the veteran community get the care they deserve, visit AHomeForEveryVet.org.
1Based on Quicken Loans data in comparison to public data records.
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