Chattanooga creates action plan to end veteran homelessness

Chastity Pharr, left, with Abba's House, prays with with a homeless veteran in May at the National Guard Armory during Project Homeless Connect in Chattanooga. Chastity Pharr, left, with Abba's House, prays with with a homeless veteran in May at the National Guard Armory during Project Homeless Connect in Chattanooga.

By Yolanda Putman July 23, 2015 3 min read

We're going to get veterans housed.

Chattanooga seeks to end veteran homelessness by the year 2016 and preferably by the end of this year.

“We’re going to get veterans housed,” said Donna Maddox, director of Joe Johnson Mental Health Center.

Chattanooga is among 75 cities in the country participating in the Zero: 2016 initiative. Those communities are working to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015 and chronic homelessness after that, said Aly Ainscough, improvement adviser for Community Solutions on the Zero: 2016 initiative.

Ainscough and Maddox were among representatives from nearly a dozen social service agencies participating in a two-day camp held in Chattanooga on the topic. The group met at the American Red Cross on Wednesday to report what steps members will take toward the goal and set deadlines for showing progress.