Homeless Veterans Paper

Until then, it was unknown as to how many veterans were in need of help, who were having problems obtaining health and human services, and what resource related issues they were encountering. There were, and still are, many “problems affecting homeless veterans [which] include physical, addictive, and postmilitary psychiatric disorders; social isolation; etc.…” (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use, p.20). With the number of problems needing to be addressed, it was crucial in getting the “’insider perspectives’ data from veterans…” (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use, p.20). By doing this, the veterans were able to provide in their own words, the major problems and barriers they encountered while attempting to obtain social services (Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use). However, prior to this, homeless veterans, let alone non-homeless veterans, were getting little to no

Homeless veterans seem to be a defenseless population by definition, as they are a subgroup in the population that is likely to have health problems or worse health challenges because of exposure to risks unlike the rest of the population. Many research undertaken to differentiate health problems linked to homeless veterans. They are vulnerable to co-morbidity of abuse of substances, mental, physical health infections and disorders than the common homeless population. Their inability to get or refuse treatment worsens their exposure to complications.

In the US homeless population, veterans are slightly overrepresented (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015). To be exact, veterans constitute 12.3% of all homeless adults (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015). A study by Harpaz-Rotem, Rosenheck, & Desai (2011) also affirms that roughly 30% are homeless men and 4% are homeless women. By definition, homelessness is not having “a regular or fixed night-time residence,” and homeless people tend to move frequently, stay in homeless shelters, and sleep in places such as vehicles and abandoned buildings (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015, p. 1). With this in mind, it is important to note that homeless veterans are mostly older males who some form of health insurance coverage than other homeless adults, better educated, and have been married or married (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015). One would think that these advantages should put veterans at lower risk for homelessness, but this was not the case (Tsai & Rosenheck, 2015). Additionally, a study done by van den Berk-Clark & McGuire (2013) portrays that elderly civilians were less likely to become homeless in comparison to elderly veterans (aged from 51 to 61 years (39%) and 62 years or older (9%)) who were twice as likely to become homeless. Risk factors that can potentially explain homelessness among elderly veterans include life events (e.g., death of spouse or marital breakdown, exiting employment, and evictions), mental illness or medical conditions, minority status, and higher levels of disruptive events during childhood

The majority of homeless veterans have service connected disabilities that are a direct result of military service; this contributes to a high risk of homelessness among veterans. Unique military skills that are non-essential in the civilian sector, combat related health issues, fractured family relationships and the lack of affordable housing are other factors. Many of them lack a social support network and/or someone to assist them with getting assistance from the government. They may be unaware of the different services they require and are

In America today, there are between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness, and nearly one-quarter of all homeless adults have served in the armed forces. There are about 200,000 veterans experiencing homelessness on any given night. Considering that this number is so large, there should be several federal agencies helping, but there is not. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the only agency that works to resolve the issue of homeless veterans.

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.

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.

Homelessness is another problem that plagues our vets. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) reports that homeless veterans are mainly male, with approximately nine percent being female. The majority of homeless vets are single, live in urban areas and suffer from mental illness. They also suffer from alcoholism, substance abuse issues or co-occurring disorders.

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.

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

More than one-third of homeless adults interviewed for the Northwest Arkansas PIT census were veterans of the United States armed forces (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). The majority of the veterans interviewed were 92.5% male, 79.3% were white, and more than half were over the age of 45 (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). All of this data combined shows that the majority of the homeless veterans are from the Vietnam era (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015). According to the Northwest Arkansas Homeless Report of all the homeless men that were surveyed about 48.6% were veterans and of all the homeless women surveyed only 18% were veterans (Collier, Fitzpatrick, & O’Connor, 2015).

Homelessness among our veterans is a huge problem across the nation. For the most part veterans are overrepresented in the homeless population. Nearly half of the homeless veterans are soldiers from the Vietnam war. Five percent of the homeless veteran population are between the ages of 18 and 30 and less than 23 percent are between 31 and 50. The homeless veteran population is predominantly males that are single, live in a city, and have a mental/physical disability, stated by the VA. About 57,849 of the 610,042 homeless people are veterans. African Americans and Hispanics make up about 45 percent of the homeless veteran population.

The National Coalition for the Homeless (2009) mentions, “The U.S. Department of Veterans Affair (VA) states, the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (four percent are females). The vast majority is single, come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45 percent suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse

American homeless veterans are becoming more prevalent in the United States. Research will show that American veterans are an overrepresented population among the homeless in the U.S. A homeless veteran is an individual who lives on the streets, in abandoned buildings, vehicles, encampments, shelters, or transitional housing (Veterans Today, 2013). As a matter of fact, homeless veterans do not have a permanent residence under their control. Homelessness in general includes those who fit what Martha Burt, et al. (2004) called “street homeless”, which they defined as single adults who spend a lot of time on the streets; and the “chronically homeless”, which they defined as “being disabled and either continuously homeless for a year or more or having at least four homeless episodes during the last three years.”

Median and advocacy accounts have pointed out how the increased incidence of homelessness has its roots in service-connected factors, particularly posttramatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), in addition to the more general economic conditions they face on reentering civilian