International Business Times: John Joins VeteransMatter.org Campaign To Find Housing For Homeless Military Veterans

Read the International Business Times article By Jeff Parlah - HERE

Official Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Legendary recording artists John Mellencamp, Dusty Hill of ZZ Top, and Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn), have added their voices to a campaign launched by VeteransMatter.org to find permanent housing for homeless military veterans. Public service announcements from the three will air on radio stations in 110 markets across the United States from Nov. 1 through Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11.

“There are over 60,000 homeless veterans on the streets of America tonight,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Mellencamp, “Streets where they have been beaten, robbed, even killed. But if this happened between enemy lines we would be outraged. We must take care of our own.”

“The public would rather not know it exists, but it does, it matters. How do you get 60,000 unhoused veterans off the streets? One at a time.” adds Dusty Hill, legendary bass player of ZZ Top and also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“They fought for us, now we fight for them. Veterans Matter works with the HUD and VA (HUD-VASH) program to urgently move veterans off the streets and into permanent housing,” explained Kix Brooks, country singer/songwriter, radio host, and one half of Grammy® Award winning duo Brooks & Dunn.

Ken Leslie who was, for a time, homeless before he kicked drugs and alcohol in 1990, founded Veterans Matter in 2012. Leslie is the CEO of a small technical executive search firm based in Toledo OH, and a philanthropist dedicated to helping others in desperate need.

“The pilot program started as a very small all-volunteer project and is quickly and organically growing nationally because it just makes sense. We take a very simple, common sense approach focused on only one thing: getting the heroes off the streets into housing.” Leslie says.

Veterans Matter, a program of 1 Matters, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, partners with the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to bridge the gap facing 8,660 homeless veterans who have already been approved for voucher-assisted housing but are unable to come up with rental deposits to move into their own apartments. These rental deposits average $750.

All of the veterans referred to Veterans Matter have already been approved by the VA and HUD for permanent housing, but the rental deposit - which is the final step before a veteran can move into the permanent housing – is not covered by government programs. Veterans Matter covers this shortfall and writes the deposit check directly to the landlords. To date, the Veterans Matter pilot program has housed 140 veterans and their families in 28 cities in four states.

Help say “Welcome Home” to veterans in need by taking action at VeteransMatter.org today.

Visit www.VeteransMatter.org/broadcast to access PSAs, videos and images from the campaign and artists that can be used for your radio, television, podcasts, and social media.