ATLANTA — More than a week ago, U.S. Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced they’d secured more than $500,000 to help homeless veterans in the Atlanta area through a combination of rental assistance and services.
Channel 2 Action News has learned the work that funding was intended for is already in motion.
President Donald Trump tried to freeze federal funding just a few days after the Georgia senators secured funding; however, a federal judge is currently blocking the proposal. Senator Warnock’s office said the funds for this program should be fine, but there is still a risk.
Metro area Army veteran Rosalyn Martin told Channel 2′s Eryn Rogers she was living out of her car and struggling with homelessness off and on from 2022-2024.
The VA said that in the days since the funding was secured to help metro Atlanta’s homeless veterans, Martin has been able to get help.
Getting the support she needed started after Martin nearly skipped an appointment she tried to cancel. Instead, she went to the Fort McPherson VA Clinic, was helped by staff, and offered the resources she needed but did not know were available.
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“The care that was provided for me, I was just like thank you, God It was such a painless process,” Martin said. “I was happy and floored at how quickly everything was provided for me.”
Martin said through the VA that her path to this point was filled with several different issues that impacted her.
“Not having a solid foundation and mental health issues, (I knew) I needed to be stable mentally and emotionally,” said Martin. “I found myself in a cycle of trying to get my life together just to have these toxic relationships stop me in my tracks. I did not know what to do at one point. I started sleeping in my car and driving for Uber full-time.”
In 2022, a car accident left her with a severe back injury, the VA said.
“She started self-medicating to deal with the physical and emotional pain of losing those who were closest to her. After toughing it out for a long time, she decided to try the Atlanta VA,” according to the department.
A case manager at Health Care for Homeless Veterans said they were able to get Martin the help she needed through VA partnerships.
“Rosalyn Martin was connected to care through community partnerships VA Atlanta already had in place,” Tina Lewis, the case manager, said. “We provide supportive living for women and women with children who have suffered from addiction and homelessness, offering a safe place to rebuild their lives. The goal of Community Transitional Housing is to allow participants the opportunity to save money and be independent in the community.”
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After going to HCHV, Martin said she went to a women’s shelter, which got her into a Veteran-focused program. She now has a place to live.
“I was accepted into the VIP Program where I now share a condo with another person. I get to live in a nice, warm place, I do not have to pay for rent, and all I can just focus on me, getting on with my life, and focusing on my mental health,” Martin said. “Losing my dad, friend and brother took its toll on me. I did not have them to help anchor me to this world and the goals I have for my life.”
Martin now works for the Department of Juvenile Justice. She also makes body butters and soaps for a small business she owns. And Martin has been sober for more than a year.
For other veterans experiencing homelessness or in need, the VA has the following resources available:
- If you are a veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, or someone who knows a veteran in this situation, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance. It is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors who can talk with you right now and connect you with your nearest VA for help.
- If you are a landlord or housing provider with housing units and would like to rent to veterans participating in VA homeless programs.
- If you are a business owner and would like to hire homeless and formerly homeless veterans.
For more information on renting to or hiring homeless veterans, visit www.va.gov/homeless.
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