Veterans Relief Project
By Maura Weber – Project Director
In October 2013 I was proud to be named the first project director of Legal Aid’s Veterans Relief Project. There are an estimated 1,400 homeless veterans in the Kansas City metro area. Many of these Veterans have legal problems impeding their ability to obtain or maintain stable housing. The Veterans Relief Project began with the idea that if we could help veterans overcome the legal barriers to stable housing, we can help the community get one step closer to ending veteran homelessness in the Kansas City area.
The majority of my clients are referrals from community partners. We work closely with the Kansas City VA Medical Center, the Salvation Army Kansas City, Catholic Charities of Kansas City – St. Joseph, and reStart, Inc. to identify veterans who are in need of legal assistance. In the year since I started working as project director I have assisted over sixty veterans with various legal problems. I also attend various community outreach and Stand Down events to meet with Veterans directly.
First Lady Michelle Obama, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced the creation of the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Kansas City Mayor Sly James has committed to this program and the goal of ending Veteran Homelessness in the Kansas City community by 2015. I am proud to support this goal and the area veterans.
