Homeless Veterans Research Paper

One of the key factors that contribute to homelessness among veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD affects a large number of military veterans from every war, though the rates differ depending on which war they served in, PTSD affected 30% of Vietnam veterans, 11% of Afghanistan veterans, 20% of Iraq veterans, and 10% of veterans who served in the Gulf War (How Common is PTSD). Half of veterans with PTSD do not receive the treatment they require and 20% - 50% of those who do receive treatment do not finish it (Robson). The lack of treatment is important considering that 45% of homeless veterans have some kind of mental illness (Paquette). The homecoming of a veteran has been related to that veteran’s degree of PTSD. Veterans with a negative reception upon their arrival tend to have harsher PTSD (Tull). It is no wonder then that, those who had the hardest time re-entering society, Vietnam veterans, among whom 30% have had PTSD, make up 47% of homeless veterans (coalition for the Homeless). These veterans had the hardest time out of any, when they returned public opinion was against them, and many were unjustly called “Baby Killers”. This critical rejection made it harder for Vietnam veterans to deal with their PTSD, because it held them back from discussing their experiences in war (Tull). Having

FACTS: The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. Programs that work best feature transitional housing, with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.

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

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

Today, I’m going to explain all of the pros and cons of remaining neutral. The topic will be on the homelessness of veterans all over the United States of America. While it may not seem a large deal, it’s quite larger than we would most likely ever imagine. So without further ado, here we go!

Drew Puleo Davis English 3 February 26,2018 Homeless Veterans Imagine this. You’re in the warfield getting shot a left and right. You watch your best friend die Your ears are ringing from bombs and guns and you go home, but you don't have a home. Instead you are stuck on the street begging for ay money possible just for something of a meal, but you get ignored.

There are thousands of homeless veterans in the United States. However, a group in Missouri is doing their part to make sure that people who have served our country have a place to stay. They are creating a neighborhood of tiny houses that will be just for veterans. The name of the group is the Veterans Community Project.

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,

Researchers have found that the military service alone is associated with homelessness, but it may be associated with other factors that contribute to homelessness. According to Woolsey and Naumann (2015), the study proposed to seek and synthesize evidence from studies and reports related to homeless veterans, requested by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office, Chief Evaluation Office, and the Veterans’ Employment and training Services to be published by the end of 2014. With a central focus on identifying the risk factors for homelessness among veterans. Under those circumstances, the literature review encountered risk factors for homelessness among veterans, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, lack of access to stable housing and employment

It was also found that the veterans in the HUD-VASH group, according to the survival analysis, had a lower risk of returning to homelessness over the course of the five-years, when compared to the other two groups (Rates and Risk Factors for Homelessness After Successful Housing in a Sample of Formerly Homeless Veterans). This shows that with the assistance of different organizations within the communities, homeless veterans have a bigger chance of reintegrating back into society.

San Francisco is attempting to end homeless veterans in the city and the city's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing has particularly focused on unending strand of homelessness among veterans. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee stated,

You're in the jungles of Khe Sahn. Bullets fly around your head, you look around and see your buddy laying next to you in the ditch only he's not moving. Your mind is racing but one thing keeps popping up in your head, why did you come here. You wake up but you are still in a fight, only this time it's to keep warm or find a scrap of food in the dumpster. This is how some vets wake up every day in America. I'm going to show you why those who were willing to lay down their lives for us are now living on food stamps and struggling to pay rent (Gina). Also i'm gonna show you how you can help this problem.