I definitely agree that isn't the only problem. I singled that out because several people spoke about it (i.e. starting adult life already deep in debt because of student loans).
Look, I also know about mental illness. My aunt I lived with from the time I was 3 months old until I was around 12 was mentall ill. Back then actual men in white coats would come and take her to the mental hospital and give her electric shock theraphy and she'd be back home. It would be repeated over and over. She'd never been married and lived with us. She had OCD and lots of other things people know about now but back then they didn't have names.
It is downright stupid for any of us to lay blame on any one particular thing. As I said, I believe there are people with more information than I have that are better at solving the problem. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be done about it but talk, talk, talk......
It's like so many other things in this country, overlooked and swept under the rug. Instead of celebrities telling who to vote for why don't they go in front of TV cameras and march for people who can't speak for themselves.
We are such a wonderful country, it doesn't make sense. Instead of honoring our military, we allow them to be homeless, etc.
I think they should have free health care, but the best. Those who have lost limbs should (for free) have their homes modified to make it easier for them. On and on, don't get me started.
We send all of this money to other countries (do you guys realize how much money we send to other countries) and yet we have so much need here....it is down right stupid!
Look at these statistics:http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics
Who are homeless veterans?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly 9% being female. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.
Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively.
Homeless veterans are younger on average than the total veteran population. Approximately 9% are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 41% are between the ages of 31 and 50. Conversely, only 5% of all veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30, and less than 23% are between 31 and 50.
America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served our country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone.
About 1.4 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
How many homeless veterans are there?
Although flawless counts are impossible to come by – the transient nature of homeless populations presents a major difficulty – the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 39,471 veterans are homeless on any given night.
Approximately 12,700 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation New Dawn (OND) were homeless in 2010. The number of young homeless veterans is increasing, but only constitutes 8.8% of the overall homeless veteran population.
Why are veterans homeless?
In addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness – extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care – a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. Additionally, military occupations and training are not always transferable to the civilian workforce, placing some veterans at a disadvantage when competing for employment.
A top priority for homeless veterans is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol.
Doesn’t VA take care of homeless veterans?
To a certain extent, yes. Each year, VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans. Additionally, more than 40,000 homeless veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.
Since 1987, VA’s programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. VA, using its own resources or in partnerships with others, has secured nearly 15,000 residential rehabilitative and transitional beds and more than 30,000 permanent beds for homeless veterans throughout the nation. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by 70% since 2005. More information about VA homeless programs and initiatives can be found here.
# I forgot to add that the soldier you saw marching at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier wasn't but could have been my late husband as he, as a member of the Honor Guard, did things like that. They take that very seriously, I know.
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