(l to r) Debra Martin, HUD Pittsburgh Field Office; Meaghan Messner, HUD PA Regional Office, and Michael Wehrer, VA Erie Office, are honored for their collaborative efforts to end veteran homelessness.

At the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania's Homes Within Reach Conference on December 4, 2012, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) employees received the PNC Housing Hero Award for their unified and innovative approach to eliminate veteran homelessness.

Debra Martin, public housing revitalization specialist in HUD's Pittsburgh Field Office; Meaghan Messner, program analyst in HUD's Philadelphia regional office,
and Michael Wehrer, homeless care team supervisor in the VA's Erie office, formed the Pennsylvania Homeless Veterans Collaboration Team to make certain that
every veteran had a place to call home.

Through their collaboration, a seamless state-wide safety net was established for homeless veterans,
linking with many housing authorities and community partners along the way. Their partnership has resulted in training sessions for nearly 100 Public Housing Authorities and 10 VA medical facilities across the state. More than 1,200 homeless veterans and their families have been housed since 2008.

The PNC Housing Hero Awards are sponsored by PNC Real Estate Tax Credit Capital and PNC Community Development Banking to recognize creative programs that achieve proven results in addressing Pennsylvania's most pressing housing problems.