Wednesday, 28 September 2022 01:15 PM
Company Update
The U.S. Housing Exchange is Combating Homelessness in a Unique and Sustainable Way; Offers Impactful Action Plan for Homeless Veterans Nationwide
CYPRESS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2022 / Almost 70,000 veterans are without shelter on any given night in the U.S. The leading causes of homelessness among vets - who make up 11 percent of homeless adults - are PTSD, social isolation, unemployment and substance. Homeless people make up 7 percent of the population, but 13 percent of the homeless population are veterans. Over half have a disability and are over the age of 50. Almost 9 out of 10 received an honorable discharge.
Research has shown that social isolation and lack of support, in particular greatly increases the risk of vets going homeless. Without proper support after discharge from the military, the risk of veterans going homeless is extremely high. The good news is that the number of vets experiencing homelessness is down by 43 percent since 2011.
Mario Henry, a former NFL player for the New England Patriots during the 90s and founder of U.S. Housing Exchange (USHX), is a finance specialist and real estate developer with a plan to end homelessness. He says homelessness is a nameless epidemic that we must put a face to in order to humanize the issue. In this way, the country can begin to tackle the homeless crisis from a humanitarian perspective and "create an environment that restores their dignity."
After his pro football career ended, Henry found himself broke, homeless, and living in his car for three days. That experience changed his life and made him realize he needed a playbook of his own. He became an insurance broker and credit specialist helping people understand out-of-the-box financial solutions.
"Being a former pro athlete, I learned that you have to have a game plan to be successful," Henry says. "You have to have many contingencies throughout the course of a game and you rehearse them over and over. Life should be no different. And every homeless individual who is not mentally challenged needs transitional housing with a specific path identified and a career in mind."
Several studies have identified unemployment and low income as one of the factors that greatly contribute to the problem. Statistics show that poverty and unemployment is one of the primary causes for vet poverty and homelessness in the U.S.
Henry and his business partner, Todd Lane, joined forces to create a unique model that moved beyond the traditional methods to end homelessness, one that Henry characterizes as being reactive and non-strategic. "You cannot just focus on where the homeless are going to sleep for today and tomorrow," he says, citing that short-term solutions such as providing meals and blankets isn't enough. "You have to focus on the end game. There has to be an educational component that centers on long-term solutions."
Henry emphasizes that their service is focused on empowering and helping vets obtain skills that lead to a career. By obtaining career certifications, vets can be assured that their basic needs will be taken care of. In addition, Henry and Lane plan to build new homes to satisfy the extreme shortage of new construction nationwide while simultaneously working towards their overall initiative to end homelessness. The goal is to build 540,000 homes with 10 percent of them dedicated to homeless veterans with specialized skills programs.
Henry says: "We have to create an environment that restores their dignity so they can eventually transition back into the society they protected. It's a way of saying, "Thank you. You are important to us."
ABOUT U.S. HOUSING EXCHANGE
U.S. Housing Exchange is a real estate and social media platform designed for individuals who want to buy, sell, flip and invest. The main emphasis of the company is to combat homelessness in partnership with the HALO Foundation which was founded by Mario Henry in 2012. For more information about, visit https://ushousingexchange.com/ or https://halofoundationusa.org/.
CONTACT
Mario Henry
https://ushousingexchange.com/
[email protected]
(833) 888-USHX
SOURCE: U.S. Housing Exchange