People of Housing Security:
Allison England

Allison England has had a love for history for as long as she can remember, which naturally grew into a deep passion for supporting veterans. Combined with her desire to help others, this led her to pursue a career focused on serving those who have served our country. 

As a Veteran Case Manager for the HealthNet Homeless Initiative Program, Allison has the opportunity to do just that, providing outreach for veterans experiencing unsheltered or sheltered homelessness in Monroe County. 

The idea of working with veterans has been in Allison’s “heart and soul” since her sophomore year of college. She attended Marian University where she triple majored in history, social work, and sociology. Her deep passion for studying history and wars played a big role in her passion for veterans. “I’ve always been drawn to those stories and biographies,” she shared. “I feel that veterans deserve to receive so much, if not more, in return for what they have sacrificed,” she said. 

In December of 2024, Allison graduated and began looking into job opportunities related to assisting veterans. She applied to be a medicaid navigator at Bloomington’s HealthNet clinic; however, she received a position as a medical case manager. Over time, her position later transitioned over to focusing specifically on veterans. 

Allison’s caseload typically includes around ten veterans, though it can rise from time to time. She describes her role as the bridge between her clients and service providers, including providers working for Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) and Volunteers of America (VoA). Oftentimes she is communicating between the two, helping to coordinate vouchers, collect vital documents, take clients on apartment tours, and assist with housing applications. 

Allison’s work is a key part of the community’s goal to reach functional zero for veteran homelessness. Functional zero, which must be sustained, is used to indicate that homelessness has been solved for a specific population within a community. When it’s achieved, homelessness is rare and brief for that population. 

“This position has been very monumental for me,” Allison said.  She shared how this position has taught her to face previous biases she may have felt and reshape what she originally thought about homelessness. “Everyone is deserving and ready for a home, they just need some unconditional positive love and support,” she stated. 

Allison shared how appreciative she herself is of the love and support she feels from those she works with in the homeless response system. “I can’t put into words how amazing this position has been and how much I’ve learned from this team,” she said. 

Allison also helps co-facilitate Veteran Case Conferencing, an inter-agency, client-focused meeting that strategizes next steps to finding housing for veterans. She shared that the group has already done very well in housing veterans who have income or the ability to self-sustain in housing with minimum case management involvement. 

However, those who experience chronic homelessness, oftentimes requiring more innovative strategies for housing, become more difficult to help. She believes it will take some work as a community to find ways to engage and support individuals who need more intensive services, but that this will ultimately be one of the next steps needed for the community to reach functional zero and maintain it. 

“Everyone is deserving and ready for a home, they just need some unconditional positive love and support“

While this work can be discouraging at times, Allison said that her veterans’ stories stick with her, and she is constantly reminding herself how valuable this role is. “I love seeing the successes of our people and seeing them housed,” she said. “It’s really a blessing.”

Even when she’s not able to house someone quickly, Allison emphasized the importance of small steps and maintaining hope. “All it can take is somebody being there for them to turn it around, and everyone deserves that opportunity,” she said. 

Outside of work Allison shared that she enjoys spending time with her cats, Bumble and Perseus, and bearded dragon, Agon. She also enjoys knitting scarves and reading about World War I, World War II, and the stories of service members. Allison is currently working towards her Master’s in Social Work, along with certificates in military behavioral health and trauma-responsive practice, through the University of Kentucky.

When the grant funding her current position is finished, Allison will transition to being on Heading Home’s team full time at the start of 2027.