Homeless in America: 1 in 4 are Vets

[unhappycamper]

Homeless in America: 1 in 4 are Vets
Associated Press | November 08, 2007


WASHINGTON - Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report released Nov. 8.

And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.

The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.

The Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.

In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.

Some advocates say such an early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,155801,00.html



uhc comment: The 1 in 4 is based on 2005 numbers.

[goddess40]

1. frivolous wars screw with peoples brains

so I'm not surprised that since we (as in our government) treat our vets like crap that many end up on the street. To send the military off to fight for any reason other than as a last resort just proves how little our government thinks about them - nothing but toy soldiers to use and abuse for power and greed.

[unhappycamper]

2. This happens after every war.

Every. !#*^%. War.

[corbett]

3. Enron Style Accounting Gyps Our Vets Again!

Even their 2005 figures are bunk! The numbers are more like 50% and growing. We need real solutions, not a shallow attempt at a quick fix.

I propose the following:

Step number 1 is to establish a living wage standard for the whole nation. That would give our homeless a genuine shot at clothing, feeding and housing themselves in exchange for a 40-hour work week. I don’t suggest that they be thrown right into the work force as a bank teller or dental receptionist but if we take a tiered approach, we can find dignified, gainful employment for them at an accelerating pace they can tolerate.

A national living wage would achieve the secondary benefit of freeing up very limited bed space in our half-way houses for homeless who genuinely can’t reintegrate without medical treatment. After all, the number one reason people are homeless in the United States is bankruptcy caused by job loss and medical expenses.

Step number 2 is to offer worthy integration services for our Veterans. It is a well documented fact that a major cause of difficulty for our discharged and retired troops when they attempt to reenter civilian life is their long-term exposure to combat from extended tours and, of course, post traumatic stress disorder.

In combination with the tiered approach described above, the method I have described would go a long way toward moving our homeless in general and our veterans in particular off the street and into mainstream society where they belong.

No one should be left behind! When I get to Washington, I will see that the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens no longer are!

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Paid for and approved by https://www.fundraisingbynet.net/fbn/contributeFederal.asp?guidRegistration=5E5F565E">Corbett For Congress

[Eagle_Eye]

4. Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans

The way the New York Times puts it:

Surge Seen in Number of Homeless Veterans

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

SEE! the surge is working!