Essay On Homeless Veterans

In 2009, President Barack Obama and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, set out to eliminate veteran homelessness within a six year time frame (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2015). While they may not have succeeded in eliminating veteran homelessness by 2015, their plan has certainly set things in motion. In January 2015 there were a reported 47,725 homeless veterans in the United States. This is a four percent decrease from 2014 (The State of Homelessness In America, 2016). In that same year a Point-In-Time count was taken in the State of Oregon, which showed there were a total of 1,467 homeless veterans (Homelessness in Oregon, 2015), of which, in a street survey conducted in Marion County, twenty-six homeless identified

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

Thirteen percent of all of the homeless in the United States are reported to be veterans (Hoffler, Dekle & Sheets, 2014). Because of this issue veteran suicide rates are much higher than the general population as are the rates for veterans substance abuse (McCarl 2103). Behavioral health needs and housing are currently the two of the largest needs that are facing veterans at this time. The VA has housing programs and a large funding source though each VA may have differing program structures the VA itself is lacing in outreach programs and psychoeducational programs for homeless veterans. Also Homeless veterans themselves underutilize the services available to them. (Gabrielian, Yuan, Rubestein, Anderson, Gelberg 2013) This homeless veterans

Imagine not knowing where you will sleep tonight, not having a place to shower nor, having any money to buy food, that is the reality for thousands of homeless veterans living in the streets Los Angeles. As we look into the homeless issue in the city, we realize that the homeless call-out for

Most of the homeless populations are veterans. “In 2007, the US Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs conducted the first comprehensive census of homeless people and found that a disproportionate number of the homeless population were veterans” (Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark, and James McGuire). Veterans have served our country and risked their life for us, It's only right that we give them a house. The homeless veterans need to be more appreciated. A majority of the homeless people are older which is not healthy at all, when you get older your immune system goes down which causes you to be less healthy especially when you are out in the cold 24/7 and have no place to go causing you to get sick and risk possibly even

In all honesty, cities across the country are faced with challenges and disparities of homeless American veterans. Homelessness is visible in various ways in our local and state communities. It is the empirical individual standing at the intersection holding a printed sign of “Homeless – God Bless you”, an individual pushing a grocery cart filled with clothing, sticks, and other personal belongings. By the same token, these homeless individuals may also be seen pitching an old make ship tent under overpasses, and in nearby wooded areas. As a United States Veteran, it is discouraging and disheartening to see signs that read “Homeless Veteran –

Also, while thinking about this particular issue, through the process of brain storming, I have begun to think about other issues that need to be solved where I live. I do know there are a lot of homeless veterans around where I live who are unable to get any help when it comes

Did you know, in January 2015 there were nearly 48,000 homeless veterans in the United States? In 2014, there was an estimated 50,000, 2,000 more than 2015. In the past three years, the average reduction was at least 5,000 (Military Times), meaning during the year of 2015 not enough was done to help these veterans off the streets. Considering these people fought for this country, I think we as a country should be doing more to keep these people off the streets. In order to do this, citizens as well as the government need to come together and conduct a plan that is going to make those numbers drop a lot faster, and get all of the veterans off the streets. Health care, housing, and job training are three main things that play a major role in

Every year the United States of America send a total number of 22.7 million men and women over the age of 17 overseas to fight for the protection of the country (Veteran Affairs, www.va.gov). That is 22.7 million sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, and other extended family members. When their service is complete many of these war veterans return home to their families, but some have no families to return too. On any given night, there are over 107 thousand veterans sleeping homeless on the streets of America; hungry, thirsty and without shelter (Veteran Affairs, www.va.gov). That is not say that the men and women who have families are safe from homelessness. A majority of the homeless veteran population comes from people who

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that close to 50,000 veterans are homeless on any given night (2015).

Two and a half million service men and women were deployed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When these service men and women come home from war, people usually visualize them getting a warm welcome and landing right back on their feet but this is not always the case. Many veterans suffer from PTSD and don’t get the help they need. Veterans are sometimes overlooked when politicians debate over current events and things that need to change. These veterans served their country but were living and dying on the street (Pearl 2). I chose the book “Veterans and Homelessness” by Libby Perl because it provided me with a statistics and a better understanding on the situation of veterans and homelessness.

Senator from Hawaii, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka, who brought to our attention that, “of the Vietnam Era veterans, there are more homeless veterans today than there were casualties in the entire Vietnam War” (Looking at our homeless veterans programs: how effective are they, p.3), which, according to a 2008 update, was a reported 58,220 casualties (Vietnam War Casualties, 2012). Michael Blecker, Executive Director, Swords to Plowshares, said it best in the 2006 Committee of Veterans’ Affairs United States Senate hearing, when he stated, “we have a national obligation to prevent what happened to our other generations of war veterans” (Looking at our homeless veterans programs: how effective are they, p.4). A step in the right direction was to obtain the perspectives of the veterans themselves, as it isn’t just housing issues that are causing our veterans to become homeless. There are many problems and barriers these veterans come across that lead them to living in shelters or on the

In January 2014, approximately 49,933 American veterans were homeless on a given night. This number represents approximately 11% of the entire homeless adult population in the United States. Of those homeless veterans, 64% were reported to be sleeping in an emergency shelter or transitional housing and 36% were living on the streets or other places not meant for human habitation. Today, the federal government has many programs targeted to end veteran’s homelessness; however, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) currently has only one program offering a permanent supportive housing solution for homeless veterans – the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH). With this program HUD provides eligible homeless veterans with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), while the VA provides clinical case management and supportive services through its health care system. The purpose of this evaluation synthesis is to assess the HUD-VASH program’s effectiveness in targeting limited resources to the needs of homeless veterans today, as well as to provide specific policy recommendations so as to improve the overall taxpayer value of this program.

As we present research on interventions utilized to assist United States Veterans who are experiencing homelessness, it is best to begin by re-emphasizing determinants such as combat, trauma inflicted by wartime events, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), isolation, unemployment, and substance abuse are potential factors of homelessness (Donovan & Shinseki, 2013). Disorders and Traumatic experiences may follow veterans after departing military services that produce distinctive challenges. Veterans is an at risk population that is apt to undergo psychiatric illnesses and are need of access to tailored resources and information that will offer a supportive environment that is absent alcohol, clean housing that is safe and secure, along with

There is an estimated number of 49,933 homeless veterans and including those civilians without homes in the United States is 578,424. Another essential to truly take in to counter is the United States educational system and public school improving the high school graduation rate and to help fund the student and eventually help improve the economy. Also, to help bring in more equipped and educated teachers because as the student changes the teacher changes as well.