The number of homeless veterans in Los Angeles is astounding. With so many and so much unused public property, we hope that Los Angeles can take a cue from our Veterans Commons project. Our collaboration with the City of San Francisco, community partners like the Chinatown Community Development Center, and various federal, state, and [...]
The Oregonian – If there’s one thing on which everyone — activists, columnists, elected officials, cabinet secretaries, even the president of the United States — seems to agree, it’s that Americans should support military veterans. Bind their wounds. Give them jobs. Provide them counseling. Welcome them home. Easy to say, harder to do. This [...]
The Veterans Commons now houses 63 veterans one month after opening its doors to the public. The remaining vacancies are in process and the facilities should be at capacity by Christmas. With the high rates of homelessness in recent years, any endeavor that reduces veteran homelessness in a city with an estimated 1,500 homeless [...]
Washington Post - The number of homeless veterans in the United States counted on a single night this year declined 7.2 percent from the previous year, a reduction significantly higher than that seen in the general population, according to figures released Monday. Overall, the number of homeless people in the country declined only slightly, to [...]
NY Times – The federal government has made big strides in reducing the ranks of the chronically homeless and of veterans who are homeless, but it probably will not reach its goal of ending homelessness among those two populations by 2015, according to a government report to be released on Monday. Shaun Donovan, the [...]
We are excited to see this vision come to fruition. Homeless veterans will have permanent housing at our Veterans Commons facility through the collaboration and cooperation between our community partners. Veterans who have struggled with homelessness, like Ronald Jones and Bruce Cramer, will have this place to call home. It is our honor to [...]
TIHDI Celebrates Accomplishments in Serving Homeless and Low-Income San Franciscans – The Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative (TIHDI, pronounced “tie-dye”) will be hosting their annual Event on Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 5:30 – 8:30 PM, at the Pavilion on Treasure Island. TIHDI will be celebrating its accomplishments in providing jobs and housing to [...]
Huffington Post – In his convention speech last week, President Obama included few rhetorical flourishes, but one stood out. He said: “When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us, because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a [...]
Daily Beast – Many post-9/11 veterans aren’t ready to go directly into the workforce. It’s time we give them the support they need. For young veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, jobs have not been easy to come by. Their unemployment rate is more than 50 percent higher than for civilians of [...]
KALW – Many San Francisco veterans remain homeless or in transitional housing. Rudy Nevarez, a 66 year-old Vietnam veteran, has been living in transitional housing on Treasure Island for two years. The program, run by Swords to Plowshares, is intended to last two years. After that participants need to find their own housing. Nevarez [...]
San Francisco Chronicle – New Grant Targets Homeless and At-Risk Veterans. Swords to Plowshares, a San Francisco-based veteran service agency, is one of 151 community-based organizations nationwide to receive the Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant. The grant will provide assistance to 330 very low-income veterans and their families in San [...]
"Swords to Plowshares' training course to become an apprentice carpenter.. will give me stability, great income and the training I need for the future." « Read More
