Homeless Veterans Research Paper

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Homeless Veterans People who have served our country have not been getting the attention they need after they served. The National Alliance to End Homelessness in 2011 estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans. The Veterans Affairs Department found out 1,500 homeless veterans are from the current wars. (“President Obama” Para 1-5). Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the US and veterans are only 11% of the general adult population (“President Obama” Para 3). The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says that the homeless veterans are mostly males, and only 8% are female. Most homeless veterans are single, live in urban areas, and suffer from mental illness, alcohol or substance abuse,…show more content…
The Iraq veterans seeking help with homelessness are more likely to be homeless then women because women are less likely to have substance abuse problems, but women are more likely to have mental illness because of post-traumatic stress. 45% of participants in the VA homeless programs have a mental illness and more than three out of four have a substance abuse problem, while 35% have both (“President Obama” Para 2). Veterans are also homeless because there is a shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care. Many veterans still have effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, which is because they have a lack of family and social support networks. Also many veterans can't get jobs because people who are hiring are scared to hire veterans because people think veterans are violent and don't know how to be "normal" (“Background Statistics” Para 8). Veterans with mental illnesses need help and veterans are getting help by a program called the “Veteran Justice Outreach”. The Veteran Justice Outreach provides, Veterans with access to VA’s mental health and substance use services let veterans get help and return to a normal…show more content…
The National Alliance to End Homelessness recommends that 5,000 housing units be created per year for the next five years dedicated to the homeless veterans. This group also recommends funding an additional 20,000 housing vouchers exclusively for homeless veterans, and creating a program that helps pay for rent and taxes (“President Obama” Para 4). Veterans need secure housing, nutritional meals, basic physical health care, substance abuse care and aftercare, mental health counseling, job assessment, training and placement assistance. The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. These groups are substance-free environments with veterans who are succeeding at helping themselves. Government money, while important, is limited, and available services are often at capacity. It is critical, therefore, that community groups reach out to help provide the support, resources and opportunities that most Americans take for granted: housing, employment and health care. Veterans who participate in collaborative programs are afforded more services and have higher chances of becoming tax-paying, productive citizens again (“Background Statistics” Para 12-15). The VA has been trying to get veterans that have no jobs get jobs. The

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