A New York Times Letter to the Editor by Dan Lehman
HELP USA CEO & President states, “Vouchers are the most effective immediate way for getting people back into housing,” in this opinion, published in the New York Times on August 16, 2024.
To the Editor:
“A Quiet Policy Success: Cutting Veteran Homelessness in Half” (news article, Aug. 7) offers key lessons for the broader homelessness crisis we face.
Homelessness among veterans has the same root causes as among other groups: job loss, physical and behavioral health issues, domestic violence, and, above all, a lack of affordable housing.
Vouchers are the most effective immediate response for getting people back into housing. Building more affordable housing is critical but takes years, while vouchers can have an impact in months, even weeks.
Getting homeless veterans into permanent housing has been a huge success — but just like many other formerly homeless persons with deep histories of trauma, ongoing support is often needed to remain stably housed.
Veterans served our country. They deserve assistance and support. As stated by Philip F. Mangano, who helped launch the program for veterans, if we can reduce homelessness among this group, we can do it for others as well.
It’s a question of committing resources. We need to stop debating who deserves help and instead focus on what works.
