Solutions To Veterans Essay

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.

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.

To achieve the goal of ending homelessness among veterans by 2015, the VA has numerous programs. These include providing healthcare, rehabilitation services, employment assistance, and transitional housing for veterans, and supportive services for the families of veterans to help them better understand and deal with conditions the veteran spouse may have. Additionally, the VA works with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide long-term housing solutions for homeless veterans (Homeless Veterans, For Homeless Veterans).

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.

United States veterans have risked their lives in order to give us all the freedom we have today, yet they are struggling in the society we have today and are forced to live on the streets. One major issue in our world today is the increasing number of how many veterans are homeless. After researching I have found the five most commonly discussed topics in this subject are; the number of homeless veterans in the whole United States, the different causes of veterans homelessness, the statistics of different races, ages, and sexes affected, if these people are being helped by the government or community-based support groups, and finally the homeless veteran populations around the United States. Veteran homelessness is an important issue in the world we live in today because of the amount of people who are affected, the causes for it have to do with our society today, there is a broad variation of people who are affected, citizens should be aware of which groups/programs are helping and how, and lastly, the populations of homeless veterans in states of the United States.

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

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), communities across America identified 49,933 veterans to be homeless in the year of 2014 (NAEH, 2015), This substantial amount is equivalent to 8.6 percent of the total homeless population. While there is no true measure of the number of homeless veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 131,000 veterans who experiences homeless on any given night in the United States. Approximately twice that many experience homelessness over the course of a year (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009).

The Housing Urban Development (HUD) released a report; called the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) this report has facts about the homelessness among veterans. “Hsu, 2014 talks about how the AHAR shows there is a 10 percent of veterans are living on the streets at any giving night”. (p. 18) “Larger number of homeless veterans’ dwell in residential, emergency, and traditional housing that is available to the veterans that is in need.” (HSU,2014(p. 18)

There are five programs from Veterans Affairs (VA) that offer services for the homeless veterans to get back on their feet. The programs are “The Housing and Urban Development- Veterans Affairs (HUD-VA), The Grant and Per Diem program,

Homelessness among veterans is a highly disregarded issue that doesn’t seem to be improving on its own. In many cases, homelessness is out of the veteran’s control, so the question that is being asked is; why so many veterans are homeless and what can everyone, including the veterans, can do about this significant and overlooked problem.

Every night more than sixty-five thousand veterans are looking for a place to lay their heads, they are homeless. For over a decade these men and women of our armed forces have been returning home from the conflicts overseas; each year their presence in the homeless community has increased significantly. The reintegration from a structured military lifestyle to a lax civilian life can make adjusting difficult for service members. These men and women, who have fought for our way of life, return to the States to find themselves fighting for a place to call home. The number of homeless veterans increases every year due to the financial strains, engagement in risky behaviors and mental health disorders that soldiers are faced with while trying to reintegrate in to civilian life.

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

Generally, these are veterans that fought in the Vietnam War, but with more recent wars there is a new face to veteran homelessness. A shift in demographics is occurring “as troops return from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan… homeless veterans are increasingly younger, female, and heads of households” (Veteran Homelessness). Veteran homelessness chronically affects such a broad group of people that a solution is imminent. It is no longer the time to allow America’s service men to wander the streets unsheltered. It is time to step up and finally put a stop to veteran homelessness.

A homeless veteran homelessness is defined as a U.S. service members, with an honorable discharge, who is unable to find and/or sustain reliable housing (Ainslie & Cooper, 2016). Many service men and women leave their military life to find it difficult to assimilate back into civilian life which can result in homelessness. First, the occupations they held as soldiers do not convey in the private sector (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, n.d.). Second, many of the men and women who have served our country suffer from PTSD and/or other mental health disorders, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, n.d.). Last, they lack support from their family, friends, and community (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, n.d.).

Defending our country is not an easy task, and the emotional stress can be crippling. Statistics show a large number of previously employed military men and women become homeless once discharged, and The National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients indicates that a solid 23% of all homeless Americans are veterans of the United States armed forces (qtd. in Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans; hereinafter MSHV). While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs extends help to many, there is still a large demand for its services, leaving it up to communities to organize help for our freedom fighters; hence the creation of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, located in Wheaton, IL. Since its beginning, the MSHV has