Mayor Steve Adler came into office promising a lot of things. One of his key pledges was to help Austin end veteran homelessness, and the city followed through, working tirelessly for two years to achieve the goal. After finding homes for 682 veterans, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified on Friday, August 19, that Austin has ended veteran homelessness.
Adler rightfully received congratulations from many government officials up and down the line, including HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “Austin today has proven that ending veteran homelessness isn’t just aspirational – it’s achievable,” Castro said. “I’m so proud to congratulate the city and its partners on working tirelessly to give our veterans a dignified home, setting an example for communities across the nation.”
Words of high praise — but none quite so sweet as the laudatory missive First Lady Michelle Obama sent over a few days later. We would have shared this with you right away, but the letter was not available publicly until being posted to Adler’s Facebook account on August 31.
Check it out…
Adler’s humble little subtitle for the post? “We get letters.” Indeed.
“Nice job Austin!” one commenter reacted. “It’s a National, high profile, humane issue. Naturally our Mayor is going to get behind it and get it fixed with everyone watching. And it’s the right thing to do. Now can we fix Mopac & I35?”
