NEOCH Veterans Service Initiative

Cleveland has a wonderful menu of services for those who served in the Armed Services and find themselves homeless or in danger of losing their housing.  The Coalition for the Homeless has created a special program that combines all NEOCH resources in an effort to meet the growing number of homeless veterans in Cleveland.  We anticipate that injured Iraq War veterans and those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will begin showing up in large numbers at our shelters.   We have combined our voice mail system, advocacy, housing program, legal assistance, and public education together in order to meet the needs of U. S. Veterans struggling with housing and maintaining decent employment.  Click on the links below to get more information about the services that we offer.

• Community Voice Mail:  This service provides a free telephone number to those phoneless and those struggling with housing.  You can access your messages from any telephone.  We are offer all the programs that serve veterans free voice mail boxes to distribute to veterans in the community.  Click here for more information and to learn where you can get a voice mail box.

• Bridging the Gap (Housing Assistance):  This service provides assistance with applications and follow up services.  The case workers help find housing, attempts to find furnishings for vets., and will check in with the veteran periodically for one year. 

• Bridging the Gap Life Skills   Staff and volunteers of Bridging the Gap regularly host meetings on budgeting, landlord tenant issues, voting, and saving money. The life skills classes are regularly scheduled at 2100 Lakeside for veterans and at the VA Center in Brecksville. 

• NEOCH Advocacy:  We are monitoring the closing of the VA Center in Brecksville and the construction of an expanded center for homeless veterans at Wade Park.  We are currently preparing a document on local efforts that could reduce the homelessness among veterans.  NEOCH is vigilant that housing agencies and others in the community give a preference to homeless veterans in our community. We have a document available that lists the priorities the Coalition is currently working on accomplishing.  Click here to view our current priorities.

• Veteran Street Card:  We introduce the NEW Street Card dedicated exclusively to services available to homeless veterans.   This does not duplicate the regular Street Card that NEOCH has published for 17 years.  This two page document lists all the services available exclusively to vets in our community.  You will need an Adobe Reader to print out this document. The Reader can be downloaded from Adobe.com.  If you cannot print out the document, please call NEOCH at 216/432-0540.

• HousingCleveland.org:  This is a new housing resource operating in Cuyahoga County.  This website can help with locating housing, and confirms which properties accept a voucher.  This free service allows veterans to find affordable housing without having to visit the thousands of properties that may have year long waiting lists. 

• Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program:  We have added legal clinics at various shelters that serve homeless veterans.  In 2006, we added the Veterans Resource Center operated by Volunteers of America.  We have weekly clinics at May Dugan Center and Trinity Cathedral for anyone in need.  The Legal Assistance program currently serves 2100 Lakeside and the VA TR House. For more information on the legal assistance clinic sites click here.

• Public Education:  NEOCH will host a Teach In for the public around the issues of homeless veterans in late August of 2006.  Click here for more details.   We attend regular meetings of the local outreach groups of which the Veterans Administration to assure that we do not lose another veteran on the streets of Cleveland.