Page 8 November 2 0 1 4 By Steven Sarkis When the Obama administration officially set out to eradicate homelessness among military veterans their hope was by the end of 2015. Phoenix, however, has reached that goal even earlier. It was officially announced recently that we are the first city in the nation to eliminate chronic homelessness among veterans. Ending homelessness among military veterans has become an important national issue, as they tend to have the highest rate of health and substance abuse problems among the homeless population. As a consequence, homeless veterans have increasingly put huge strains on every aspect of the health care system from emergency services, to hospitals, to rehabilitative services. Just a few years ago, Phoenix had identified well over 200 homeless veterans living on the streets. A little over a year ago, that number had dropped down to about 50. Recently, the last of these homeless veterans were placed into secure housing facilities with the use of state and federal funds. The funding was provided through an initiative known as “Housing First,” Phoenix sets example for ending vet homelessness which provides places for these individuals to live without first requiring them to be drug and alcohol-free. Although this may seem strange to some, the thinking is that homeless individuals with drug or alcohol problems, or both, will be much more likely to address these issues if they first have a safe and secure place to live. Nationwide, while there is still some progress to be made in reaching the goal of ending homelessness among veterans by 2015, the numbers are steadily declining. According to the latest information, there are well over 50,000 homeless veterans in the United States, which is about 12 percent of the total homeless population. While that number is high, it actually represents a 24 percent drop from just four short years ago. And while nationally the issue is still highly apparent, city officials in Phoenix and those involved with the homeless veteran population, deserve a lot of credit, as Phoenix officially became the first city in the nation to fully eradicate homelessness among military veterans. Steven Sarkis is the Justice of Peace for Arcadia Biltmore Justice Court. Aspirational · Soul · Exploratory · Dynamic · Self-Discovery All Faiths Welcome • Pre-K through Eighth Grade • Financial Aid Available 6300 North Central Avenue | Phoenix, Arizona 85012 | 602.274.4866 | www.aseds.org | www.facebook.com/PhoenixASEDS With 16 students to a class, your child will benefit even more from our experienced and specialized faculty. • Multi-sensory language arts and reading instruction • Math in Focus® : Singapore Math • iPads for instructional technology • Science class taught in a specially equipped science labs • P.E. in the gymnasium • Dedicated art studios • Spanish language learning • Music classes and performances • Small group instruction and individual attention Members of the All Saints’ Class of 2014 and their Pre-Kindergarten Picture Join us for an Open House November 12 | D ecember 10 | Januar y 14 Representing students of Arizona universities, community colleges and high schools, as well as other emerging Arizona artists since 1993. mr lucky’s • 35”h x 39.5”w x 2”d • mixed media on panel • stephanie bucholz ARTWALK! THURSDAY NIGHTS ScoTTSDALeGALLeRIeS.coM 480.946.5076 . artonegalleryinc.com 4130 n marshall way . scottsdale Representing students of Arizona universities, THURSDAY NIGHTS THURSDAY NIGHTS THURSDAY NIGHTS THURSDAY NIGHTS S S S co co co co TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL TTSDAL e e GALL GALL art ne gallery

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