Poplar Bluff has been asked to become the first city in eastern Missouri to take the mayor's challenge to end veteran homelessness.
Only 62 communities across the United States have accomplished this in the past four years, and only three other cities in Missouri have accepted the challenge, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The Poplar Bluff City Council is expected to vote April 2 on the matter.
It would be done in coordination with an effort to earn a veteran friendly community status, said Dr. Patricia Hall, director of John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
She presented both proposals to city council members Monday.
Tackling issues related to homelessness and housing are among the criteria to earn a veteran friendly community status, Hall said.
Completing the mayor's challenge would mean demonstrating 90 days with no chronic or long term veteran homelessness, she explained.
"The challenge of unhoused veterans, eligible veterans, is not monumental," Hall said. "Part of the reason it's not monumental is we do have immediate transitional and long term housing options."
A point in time count was conducted Jan. 24 in Poplar Bluff and found six eligible, unhoused veterans, and 13 other individuals unhoused, Hall said.
Immediate housing was offered to the six veterans, she said.
Ward 4 council member Philip Crocker said he was concerned with the term eligible veteran.
"Why is there always an eligibility factor? If you served, you're a veteran," he said.
Veterans that can receive VA benefits are mandated by congress, Hall said, who added she believes the lessons learned from this initiative can be transitioned to other populations.
"If we get good at determining all of our resources in the community for this one population, there is no reason why we can't expand, creatively using those housing opportunities for other people," Hall said, earlier telling the council, "Homelessness can happen to any good person, not just a good veteran."
VA staff would monitor eligible veteran homelessness and other components of the mayor's challenge, Hall said.
No city money would be needed, she said, in response to questions from the council.
The only other cities in Missouri to take the mayor's challenge are Independence, Kansas City and Joplin. No Missouri cities have succeeded to date.
Other components of becoming a veteran friendly community include economic factors, such as cost of living, ease of travel, growth and unemployment rate.
The VA's community veteran engagement board would like to pursue the community status, Hall said. The board is chaired by Dr. Wesley Payne, Three Rivers College president, and includes many community members, she said.
"I'm looking for a blessing for the community veteran engagement board to look down that road," she said.
The community already has demonstrated tremendous support for veterans and has many of the items needed to earn the community designation, according to Hall.
Poplar Bluff's unemployment rate of 2.6 percent or less is among the lowest in state, Hall said. There is continued growth with new businesses opening, she continued.
Higher education opportunities are also present, Hall said, with Three Rivers College offering up to a master's degree through its affiliations.