Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans has launched a campaign titled “Neighbors,” which highlights the stories of four U.S. military veterans who successfully transitioned from experiencing homelessness into housing through Built for Zero, an initiative that assists communities by coordinating resources, methodology and technology to reduce the number of those experiencing homelessness.
The program is a nationwide effort created by Community Solutions and supported by Quicken Loans.
The campaign aims to generate awareness around veterans experiencing homelessness, the conditions that cause it and how Built for Zero brings modern solutions to a complex problem. The national television spots for the Neighbors campaign debuted during America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit and the Thanksgiving parade in New York City. The spot also aired during the football games in Detroit and Dallas.
“At any given time, nearly 40,000 veterans across our country are experiencing homelessness,” says Jay Farner, CEO of Quicken Loans. “We hope this campaign builds awareness around an urgent national crisis and shows America that it is possible to solve it. Communities are creating lasting change through Built for Zero, and we are proud to support this progress—especially in our hometown of Detroit.”
The 30-second and 60-second Neighbors spots were produced by the Quicken Loans creative team, and encourage viewers to visit AHomeForEveryVet.org. The site provides additional information on Built for Zero and features long-form videos of the veterans featured in the ads, sharing more in-depth versions of their touching stories.
The title song of the Neighbors spots, “People in Your Neighborhood,” was sung by high school senior and Detroit Youth Choir member Victoria Cooksey.
Built for Zero aids communities in deploying proven methodologies to reduce homelessness in their community, beginning with veteran and chronic homelessness. The national initiative allows communities to drive improvements to their local homeless response system, which helps people experiencing homelessness receive access to housing and assistance. Through Built for Zero, communities seek to create a system where people experiencing homelessness is never more than the number of people they can routinely house in a month, a milestone knows as “functional zero.”
“Communities are proving it is possible to end veteran homelessness when partners come together around a shared vision of getting to zero,” says Rosanne Haggerty, president of Community Solutions. “We are proud to partner with Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, which has dedicated $15 million for this effort. Their passion around raising awareness, along with rolling up their sleeves to help in the work, is greatly appreciated.”
Currently, more than 80 communities across the country are enrolled in Built for Zero, over half of which have reduced the number of people experiencing homelessness. Overall, 10 communities have achieved functional zero for veteran homelessness, and three have achieved functional zero for chronic homelessness, with more on the way. Communities in Built for Zero have placed nearly 125,000 individuals into housing.
Rocket Mortgage and Community Solutions have intensified efforts in Detroit, partnering with several Detroit-based nonprofits, agencies and organizations to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. The partnership is working through the Continuum of Care to secure up to 125 additional housing units for veterans.
As the nation’s largest mortgage lender, Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans understands the power and importance of housing stability, and this campaign is a continuation of its ongoing commitment to veterans. The company has a veteran hiring team comprised exclusively of veterans, a “Tour of Duty” program to aid veterans in the transition from active service to civilian life, and is consistently recognized as a top employer for veterans by Military Friendly, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and Military Times.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit’s first-ever PGA TOUR event, raised more than $200,000 for Built for Zero through its Shot for Heroes activation. The activation has raised $1.2 million overall for veteran-focused nonprofits, including during the past five years as part of the Quicken Loans National. Additionally, Rocket Mortgage team members have provided 30,000 hours of volunteer work to veteran non-profit organizations since 2010.
For more information, please visit www.rocketmortgage.com.
