JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As we get ready to honor veterans, there is one segment that seems to be forgotten: the veterans who are homeless.
It’s estimated there are 3,000 veterans that are homeless in Florida and hundreds are here in Jacksonville.
Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP) is where vets in Jacksonville can go to get help with housing and work.
And it was HVRP where the journey to a better life started for Bill Adams. An Army veteran, Adams was living on the street but he is now working for the mayor’s office and greets those who come into the office.
“I went through a divorce, child custody, something that I did not anticipate, became depressed and those things can tear you apart, can tear your heart out. And those are the things that behind everybody you see on the street, there is a backstory. And until we address the backstory, the mental health issues that the crisis that led to them being in that situation, we will never get to the bottom of resolving the problem of the homeless in Jacksonville, Florida,” Adams said.
Adams also told his story during a Thursday news conference with Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and city council president on the benefits of the program.
The city said HVRP provides an array of services utilizing a case management approach that directly assists homeless veterans and offers critical access to a variety of local support services. The program is employment-focused, and veterans receive the employment and training services they need to re-enter the labor force. Job placement, training, job development, career counseling and resume preparation are among the services that are provided. Support services such as interview clothing and work tools are made available to participants, as well as referrals to temporary, transitional, and permanent housing, medical and substance abuse treatment, and transportation assistance.
“I think every one of us has a testimony,” Adams said. “And we can’t be ashamed to provide assistance to those that are going through the same struggles that we’ve already gone through. And because of that experience, I believe I’m better equipped to help those who are struggling help those who are homeless help those who are addicted, help those who have been incarcerated.”
Adams is an example of how it works.
News4JAX went to several locations where people who are homeless are staying on Thursday and asked vets who were there why they were not getting help from the city. One vet spoke to us but didn’t want to give his name.
“It’s just like, I don’t know. It’s just, it takes so long. It’s like, I get frustrated,” he said before adding he might go back to the city for help. “I think it’s good.”
And that is why the city reached out, to get vets who are homeless the help they deserve.
The city said it offers other services for people who are homeless but are not vets. It’s part of Mayor Deegan’s new plan for programs that are now being discussed by the city council.