(CNN) Roughly 40,000 veterans are homeless in America every single day, according to a report by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Yet the Texas city of Abilene has succeeded at something that only eight other communities can boast: It has found a way to house its homeless veteran population.

A slew of homeless assistance organizations and Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams officially set an agenda for the city: to find a way to end homelessness for veterans in 100 days. The effort to house the city's 30 homeless veterans began in October, and it has become a life-changing reality for veterans in the city.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness determines an "end" to veteran homelessness by how well a community's system is able to support the number of active homeless veterans in their area, and how it keeps veterans from becoming homeless.

The case of Abilene is a study in what it takes to do this, but not many other communities can replicate it. Dozens of local and state leaders throughout the country are working on the issue.

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