Whereas, The City of Bismarck is dedicated to supporting military veterans and their families; and
Whereas, homelessness among our military veterans is a critical concern impacting the health, well-being, employment and educational opportunities of the men and women who have proudly served our Country; and
Whereas, we recognize that local participants in the homeless services network, who work through the Continuum of Care to house homeless veterans, will be the foundation by which homelessness amongst all populations will be resolved; and
Whereas, we will continue to provide ongoing local leadership to combat homelessness among our veterans, and others; and
Whereas, there are historic levels of federal resources available to aid homeless veterans and their families through collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the National League of Cities;
Now, Therefore, I, Mike Seminary, Mayor of the City of Bismarck and this Board of City Commissioners, are pleased to announce that, as of June 9, 2015, the City of Bismarck proudly joins forces with more than 200 cities across the United States in our commitment to end veteran homelessness within our community by the end of 2015, and formally accept First Lady Michelle Obama’s Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness.