Homeless Veterans

               While walking through New York City, you may encounter dozens of homeless people.  This is true in many other cities in the United States as well.  Some American mindsets tend to think that these people "did something to end up on the streets," whether that be drug or alcohol addiction, or other problems that they got themselves into.  What about the people who didn't live a lifestyle that led to homelessness?  What about the veterans who went off to serve the American people in foreign countries, and come back tattered and broken, only to find that they can't get jobs or support themselves?  These people, more than any others, don't deserve to be living on the streets.  With everything that they do to protect us, the least we can do in return is be able to give them a place to live.

               While the actual percentage of homeless people that are veterans varies anywhere from 15 to an upwards of 50 percent, the problem of vets without a place to live is still evident.  According to the 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were roughly 57,849 homeless veterans.  While 60% of these lived in shelters or temporary housing, a large 40% were in unsheltered locations.  What typically happens is that these vets come home from war with not only physical scars, but extreme mental scars too.  About 11-20% of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are affected by PSTD, while 10% from the Gulf War and 30% from the Vietnam War are also affected  (US Department of Veteran Affairs).  In 2008, 5.5 million veterans had some type of disability, and many suffer from substance abuse. (http://feminspire.com/why-are-so-many-veterans-in-the-us-homeless/)  This combination of ailments can lead to people who struggle to find and keep jobs, and struggle to use their money from their jobs wisely.  All these things combined lead to the road to living on the road.

               There are many organizations set up to help these veterans.  These include The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, The American Legion, Project CHALENG, and many others.  Besides donating to these various organizations, everyday people can write letters to their local senators and government officials advocating homeless veteran support.

               To find out more on homeless veterans, you can read the 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report at https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/ahar-2013-part1.pdf