A coalition in Wichita is reporting progress in its efforts to end veteran homelessness in Sedgwick County.

The Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita and Sedgwick County has been working toward a goal of “functional zero” in the community.   Steve Burt with the United Way of the Plains said that goal can be reached one population at a time, starting with veterans and then moving to the chronically homeless, youth and families.

The Coalition gave a report Thursday during Wichita Mayor Lily Wu’s weekly news conference.   The coalition includes Wichita, Sedgwick County, the Veterans Administration and the United Way.

Burt said the effort has met its goal with two of the four benchmarks that have been established.  He said more veterans are leaving homelessness and fewer are becoming homeless.   He said there were 42 veterans went into permanent housing over the past 90 days, while 27 were still identified as being homeless.   The other benchmark involves getting people into housing before they go into treatment for mental health or substance abuse issues.   He said the coalition is working to get the 27 veterans into housing first, and then focusing on treatment programs.    Burt said there has been a 50 percent reduction in veteran homelessness since the beginning of 2023.

The coalition is working to meet the other benchmarks, getting to functional zero and reducing the time it takes for veterans to get into permanent housing.  They are working to meet those goals by the end of the year.

Michael Payne, director of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, said the mission is to make sure homelessness is rare and brief.  He said the VA is working to get mental health care to veterans to help prevent treatment, and the wait times have been 19 to 23 days, below the national average of 28.