Forsyth and Guilford Counties are joining a national campaign that is geared to serve veterans and the chronically homeless over the next two years.
Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines and Greensboro mayor Nancy Vaughan made the announcement on Tuesday. The counties are among 68 U.S. communities, to participate in "Zero: 2016", which is spearheaded by a group called Community Solutions. Andrea Kurtz works on housing issues in Forsyth County with the United Way. She says the goal is to create a national learning network between these communities.
“A lot of it will be building partnerships and communications. These are some of the best communities across the country at pulling together collaborations, setting goals and working with their communities to achieve their goals,” says Kurtz. “If one style of program doesn't work for a specific homeless person or veteran, maybe another alternative will.”
Both Triad counties were selected for the national program through a competitive application process. City leaders in Winston-Salem and Greensboro say they've made significant progress in their efforts to house homeless veterans. The current the number of homeless veterans in both counties is around 8 percent.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg area is the only other North Carolina community participating in the national program.
Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news
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