Functional Zero Homelessness for Veterans: How You can Help

It is our nation’s duty to ensure all veterans have a place to call home. On July 6, 2023, we announced a plan to fulfill that duty, to reach functional zero for unhoused veterans in the Wichita community (pictured above). This goal is shared by a large contingency of organizations in Wichita – from elected officials at the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County, to the agencies and individuals serving on our Continuum of Care, to religious organizations, veteran service providers and more.

Homelessness is not a simple issue. If it were as easy as providing four walls and a roof to everyone without a home, we could solve homelessness tomorrow. Instead, it is a complex, systemic and often heartbreaking problem.

While our Homelessness Task Force works toward functional zero homelessness for all unhoused individuals, we believe we can accomplish this goal for our veterans in 2024. Functional zero homelessness is defined as when the number of people experiencing homelessness never exceeds the community’s capacity to move people into permanent housing.

We thank all the agencies currently helping in this endeavor. They include:

But we need your help. We know our community is a giving one. We are asking business owners and individuals to join us to support and assist our veterans when they need us most. From moving companies, to landlords, to nursing facilities, to furniture and home goods, and groceries, job training, medical care and more – it will take a community coming together to help reach this goal. We believe in Wichita, and we believe that together we can do this.

If you’d like to join us in our efforts to help house our city’s veterans, please, reach out to us at wichita.gov/homesforheroes. We believe in you, Wichita, and we know that together we can do this.