Housing Forward supports veterans, who are at a higher risk for homelessness than other adults, through programs like Victory’s Path.
Victory’s Path is a partnership between Housing Forward, the nonprofit working to end homelessness in west suburban Cook County, and Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital, the largest VA in Illinois that treats more than 56,000 veterans.
Through this partnership, Housing Forward assists military veterans who are experiencing homelessness. Hines VA Hospital refers veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria to Housing Forward, where staff help transition them into housing.
“These are individuals who have served this country and protected our freedoms,” said Patricia Stokes, senior director of supportive housing at Housing Forward. “We need to provide every opportunity to ensure that they have an opportunity to live a healthy, happy life once they return from service.”
Veterans are referred if the amount of support provided through Victory’s Path would be adequate in helping them move forward on their goals, such as gaining employment or sustaining their rent payments independently.
“We look at veterans who are functioning at a level where they would be able to recoup and recover in the year that they are provided support,” Stokes said.
This program offers rental assistance through the VA, either for six months or more typically, for a year. Additionally, Housing Forward provides case management and wraparound services to help veterans maintain independent housing after finishing the program.
Housing Forward staff meet with veterans in the program weekly and require them to participate in a quarterly learning seminar, covering topics such as finance or ways to take care of one’s mental health. Stokes said the program also asks veterans who are making an income to save, typically at least 30% of their gross income, or what would be their rent.
Housing Forward has served 2,159 individuals this year across its organization. So far this year, the nonprofit has served 54 veterans throughout all its programs and outreach, Stokes said. Of that group, 34 veterans fell into more than one “special” demographic, including individuals who have a disability, who have a substance use disorder, or who have another mental or physical illness.
Stokes said through Victory’s Path, Housing Forward has seen that many veterans who return home are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, have broken family situations, are struggling to obtain or maintain employment, or might have a substance use disorder. Those circumstances can all contribute to experiencing homelessness and are not dissimilar to other groups who do.
“We can understand differently the trauma that they have experienced, especially if they served on the front lines,” Stokes said.
Housing Forward has partnered with Hines VA Hospital for about 15 years total. The hospital has services focused on veterans including care for veterans experiencing homelessness, for LGBTQ+ veterans, for minority veterans, for returning service members, and has mental health programs including for military sexual trauma, substance use and PTSD. Hines also has veteran employment programs for job and career training.
“Ending veteran homelessness is crucial because those who have served our country deserve stable housing and dignity after their service,” said Erich Krumrei, a veteran and Housing Forward board member. “Homelessness among veterans exacerbates mental health struggles, including PTSD, and undermines their ability to reintegrate into society.”
At the end of a veteran’s time with Housing Forward, an exit evaluation is conducted. It’s considered a positive exit if the veteran is renting housing on their own, transitioned to another situation to maintain housing such as living with a family member, or has acquired an additional housing subsidy. A negative exit is when a veteran is experiencing homelessness again or contact was lost and it’s unclear what happened.
Other entities support Housing Forward’s efforts to aid veterans experiencing homelessness, too. On Nov. 8, Home Depot donated backpacks as care packages for veterans in the Victory’s Path program. The backpacks contained items like gloves, a hat, a face towel, a first aid kit, hand warmers, water and candy, said Peggy Howard, Housing Forward’s VA, family and youth supervisor.
(From left to right) Bob Hahn, former Housing Forward board member, Jeff Porter, from Home Depot in Crystal Lake, Claire Johnson from Home Depot, and Erich Krumrei, Housing Forward board member and veteran. Credit: Provided by Housing Forward 
On Nov. 8, Home Depot donated backpacks as care packages for veterans in Housing Forward’s Victory’s Path program. The backpacks contained items like gloves, a hat, a face towel, a first aid kit, hand warmers, water and candy. Credit: Provided by Housing Forward
Nov. 17 to 23 is also National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week, which the village recognized in a proclamation highlighting the work of Housing Forward and Beyond Hunger, a nonprofit hunger relief agency.
Correction, Nov. 20, 2024: Due to incorrect information provided, a previous version of this article misstated the number of individuals Housing Forward served this year.