Georgetown, Del., May 23, 2017: Sussex County is helping to bring home veterans from the battlefield that is homelessness.

County Council, at its Tuesday, May 23, 2017, meeting, received an update on the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness initiative, which the County, along with other local towns, counties and the State, signed on to support in August 2015. Since that time, Sussex County, through its Community Development & Housing office, has supported the statewide and national effort by partnering with public and non-profit groups to identify veterans in need of housing services, and coordinate access to those services to get veterans off the street.

“We are proud to say that through our combined efforts, Sussex County and its partners have housed more than 100 veterans since signing on to the national challenge,” said Sussex County housing coordinator Brandy Nauman. “We can stand tall today as a community knowing that our collective commitment has made life better for these brave men and women, and it has put us well on the path to effectively ending veteran homelessness in our community.”

Sussex County’s success has played a major role in the state, as a whole, effectively ending veteran homelessness as of November 2016 – a claim that only three states throughout the country can make. Effectively ending veteran homelessness does not mean that no veteran will ever experience homelessness again; rather, it means that Delaware generally, and Sussex County in particular, has a sustainable and systematic response in place to ensure that homelessness among veterans is prevented, or limited, whenever possible.

To learn more about the Mayors Challenge, visit the Delaware State Housing Authority website.

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