According to the Veteran Population Projection Model 2014 (VetPop2014), the overall veteran population is projected to decline in coming years. However, there are still approximately 49,933 homeless veterans (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs) and around 5.3 percent of veterans are unemployed (U.S. Department of Labor).

Local governments play a key role in reintegrating veterans into their community, providing veteran services, and helping veterans find employment. At ICMA, one of our main priorities is to ensure local governments have the tools needed to properly assist veterans and their families. The best way to access these resources is by checking out the topic page titled Veterans. Here are some resources from that page:

1. On January 20, 2015, President Obama stated, “If you want somebody who’s going to get the job done, hire a veteran!” ICMA believes that veterans’ experiences and skills can translate to local government management. This month ICMA has been recognizing its veteran members, and you can follow the discussion on Twitter with the #VeteransofICMA.
2. ICMA has partnered with the U.S. Army Installations Management Command (IMCOM) to put commanders in week-long fellowships with local governments to focus on city management strategies, tools, and tactics. This experience helps these military professionals transition into a career after their service.
3. In the August 2010 edition of PM magazine, Steve Vinezeano discusses how his military experience influenced his local government management career.
4. In 2012, EPA and VA partnered to develop this guide to help veterans transition into local government positions in the water sector.
5. At this year’s ICMA Annual Conference, King County, Washington, presented how they used GIS data to help their veterans locate local services. Check out the interactive map on their website.
6. This ICMA Recommended document can help any veteran transition from a military career to one in local government.

Another great way to inform your veteran citizens about all the resources available to them is to develop a Veteran Resources webpage. This webpage on the city of Fernley, Nevada, website is a great example of this.

How do you assist veterans and their families in your community? Post your comments below.