Being Sleeping On The Streets Like An Animal

INTRODUCTION: How many people have a Veteran in their family or know one? If yes do you help them or is it someone else’s problem. Well many people think it’s someone else problem, but the truth is it’s our problem.

A struggle for veterans was finding employment after completing the service so many veterans had problems with conforming to civilian from transitioning out the military. The unemployment rate for all U.S. veterans was 6.9 percent←;→ however, for those who had served since September 11 it rest at 10 percent. 13 percent of the veterans in the U.S. population were homeless, another 1.4 million veterans were at the endangered of homelessness. The source for vets that unfortunately discovery themselves in this position of being homeless lack of employment, poverty, housing shortages, low wages with adding drug abuse, alcohol, physical mental illness these problems can leave a veteran out in the streets (Hoffer, Elizabeth. F., Dekle, Judith. Ward., & Sheets, Carol., 2014).

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in January of 2014 there were 49,933 homeless veterans across the United States. In 2013 the United States Department of Veterans Affairs released a study saying that 22 veterans die of suicide every day, or one veteran kills himself every 65 minutes due to either post traumatic stress disorder, or just because of guilt. Both of these statistics say that the way we treat veterans is clearly not good enough. Veterans do not receive the praise and the respect that they deserve because there are too many homeless veterans, veterans are killing themselves at a rate that is too rapid, and people just assume that because of their previous uniform they have killed and slaughtered babies, which

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), nearly 200,000 American Veterans are homeless on any given night (Rieckhoff). NCHV - the resource and technical assistance center - reported that the number of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) - (OEF) veterans are becoming homeless much more quickly than Vietnam veterans. As the war in Iraq and Afghanistan continues the number of homeless veterans increases. The next generation of American Veterans is on its way home, and tens of thousands more will return from combat over the years to come. Upon returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan thousands of veterans are facing a new nightmare, the risk of homelessness.

“It’s like the path of least resistance... After a while, your self esteem gets really low and you don’t feel competitive any longer… Like you are already defeated.” (Applewhite ¶ 17). A quote from a homeless veteran shows how even though he has tried to relieve himself of the homelessness, it does not always end with the outcome that he wants, which leaves him feeling defeated, as well as thousands of others. About ⅓ of the homeless population are veterans, and they are usually the ones that need the most help (VA Expands Partnerships ¶5). The struggle that homeless veterans face everyday in the United States is a growing problem that needs to be fixed because it will continue to get worse. The healthy and productive success of

Imagine one making a huge decision to leave family, friends, and a familiar lifestyle to go serve and protect their country for months or years at a time. Imagine one risking their life and putting forth their time just to come back to no home, money, or health care while have developed a mental illness. The government promises all of these benefits one may never see and they end up on the streets without a home finding ways to cope which may lead to addiction. A study shows that “There are estimated to be about 50,000 homeless veterans on any given night with about 1.4 million others at risk of becoming homeless, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans said, citing government statistics” (Shaw). Many of America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, and many other wars. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served their country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone. Homeless veterans all across America come from different backgrounds and homelessness does not discriminate against gender. These veterans, including males and females, suffer from homelessness due to: being unemployable; suffering economic hardships; battling substance abuse, and lacking proper legal aid. Yes, there are plenty of resources out there to assist the homeless veterans that may help some but there are still too many veterans living on the streets.

In spite of having many advantages, veterans over-represent in the homeless population. The question “Why?” begs an answer. Forty years have passed since the Vietnam Conflict ended and homeless veterans became a representative image in American society. Surprisingly, it appears there are no studies on the factors contributing

There has been an increase in veterans, approximately 107,000 whom are unemployed and homeless, while 1.5 million veterans are poverty and homeless. These veterans live in various dismal conditions suffering from disorders while lacking social support. (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans) This epidemic attracts the attention of politicians, sociologists, etc. whom are unconcerned with the fate of veterans in America. Professor Tull, insisted that to resolve the problem, he argued that the main reason for homelessness was that the veterans had PTSD which had negative influences. (Tull) This reason is that the PTSD should be treated with various ways, such as cognitive-behavioral treatment, which unfortunately some veterans can’t handle

Data indicates that it takes years for the trauma associated with military combat to appear, hence the name post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After the Vietnam War it took nine to twelve years before veterans began showing up at homeless shelters in large numbers. It’s unfortunate that ANY veteran who we reposed special trust and confidence in would someday find themselves living on the street at ANY point in their life.

According to the 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 62,619 veterans were homeless on any given night in 2012. The good news is that the estimate represents a 7.2 percent decline from the 2011 estimate and a 17.2 percent decline compared to the 2009 estimate ("Veterans," 2013). Although progress is being made, there is much to be done. There are veterans with the same needs as the general homeless population, but also veterans with severe physical and mental health disabilities, related to their service, that necessitate permanent housing with supportive services.

More than a half million veterans in the United States are homeless at some time, and on any given night more than 300,000 are living on the streets or in shelters.

Homeless veterans population has been a problem over the decades but over the passed few years the population of homeless veterans has increased. This is a concerning problem that needs to be attended to and human services is one of the ways to seek help. Many veterans that are homeless is due to mental illnesses such post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), substance abuse (alcoholism and addiction), and depression. Veterans that are homeless usually have one or more issue that they are facing that is causing them to be homeless. Some veterans can be facing psychiatric, physical, and medical disorders at the same time, which is very common today (Goldstein, Luther, Haas, Appelt, & Gordon, 2010, p.312). Veterans that were deployed and fought

There have been stories of hardship, stories of how people have overcome, how they have beaten the odds; but how many of those stories been of veterans and their struggle with homelessness? The stories that are shown of homelessness do not show the full extent of what those people go through. This is shown in Michael’s case, a veteran who resided in Los Angeles, a man who lived under a bridge for ten years. Michael had become ashamed of his appearance and situation, at first he would resist those who offered him help. Although it seems like it would be easy for one to accept the help that he was in need of, it is not easy for those who have been completely dependent on themselves for such an extended period of time. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has done a great deal to try to assist those in situations similar to Michael 's, but they do not have enough of an outreach to help all of those in need. Furthermore, it is impossible to know the exact number of veterans in need of assistance, and that is including the approximated amounts, they are not able to help all of those in need. However, in recent years the president has gotten involved to assist in the fight against veteran homelessness. The VA and other such programs that are aimed to help veterans have helped in a variety of areas including: general and specialty physical and mental care, rehabilitation programs, treatment programs, specialty clinics, community living centers, transitional housing,

Moreover, in most communities, especially the cities, these veterans who are in their 20s and 30s are found loitering around church buildings, shopping centers, and under the bridges due to the fact that they don’t have anywhere to stay, someone’s, you see them around traffic light signers on the street with placard written on, homeless veterans Vietnam war begging for money or food. This is a big disgrace to the United States at large, and has creates a huge problem since the government has been relentless to intervene to the crisis. However, according to the National coalition for homeless Veterans,

Everyday you have a chance to seeing a homeless with a cardboard sign reading something about wanting food or lodging. Some of these homeless people include American Veterans who have served our country. You would never think a person who has sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our country would be