Robert's Supportive Housing Story

Facing battles on the home front

Housing for veterans

They served their country. Now they are being served. Twenty-two veterans have sough shelter and peace of mind at an apartment building owned and managed by Community Housing Network.

One-third of the nation's adult homeless men have served in the armed forces. Many more are at risk of becoming homeless due to poverty, lack of family or social supports, and living in substandard housing. About 45% of homeless vets suffer from mental illness, and slightly more than 70% are burdened by substance addiction, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

CHN partners with community mental health agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help the residents overcome their complex isues involving chemical dependency and mental illness. The housing program receives funding through the Community Shelter Board's Rebuilding Lives initiative.  Many of the residents have lived on the street, as part of a mostly unseen "army" of 250,000 veterans who are homeless on any given night in America.

Although the men live independently in the 32-unit building, they give each other peer support as they focus on maintaining sobriety and employment.