Valley model on ending veteran homelessness getting attention from Washington D.C.

PHOENIX - Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, visited the Valley Wednesday to show his support for a veterans housing facility that his department helped fund.

"In the 27 years that we've been in this space, we were the ones that went out and took the risk in advance of any of those public subsidies coming," said Tim Cantwell, President of Cantwell Anderson.

The folks at Victory Place have a unique model that has proven successful in South phoenix for nearly three decades of keeping vets off the streets and contributing to society. So successful, in fact, that Carson wanted to see it for himself.

"One of the great things is that they have a vision of what they want to accomplish," said Carson.

"There's a variety of challenges with providing this housing," said Brad Bridwell, Director of National Operations at Cloudbreak Communities. Keeping a level of services is absolutely critical. It's just a matter of removing a lot of the regulation so we can use them."

The public-private partnership has helped reduced homelessness among vets in the Valley in recent years.

"The concentration of effort from the top-down, across agencies, state, local and federal, you concentrate resources on a single-minded purpose, and good things happen," said Cantwell.

This isn't a free ride. Cantwell said people have to earn it.

"We believe that there's a responsibility that has to be appended on the person coming in to use the space," said Cantwell.