Veteran Homelessness
First Apartment After 45 Years Homeless
Published November 04, 2009 @ 02:53PM PT
Steve Sacre has been homeless for 45 years. His homeless stint included time in the Army, in prison, on couches, and on the streets. He learned early on how to hide his belongings so they're not stolen and how to watch his back so he's not hurt. But today, he can finally enjoy safety, security, permanence. Today he is living in his first real home.
Sacre's moving story appeared today in the Democrat Herald. Like many Vietnam-era veterans, his downward spiral began after he began using drugs to survive the horrors of the war. He came home - an addict - and became involved in burglary to fuel his habits, landing him in prison for 10 years.
It's heartbreaking to imagine living for 45 years without a sense of permanency. And for Sacre, this new home couldn't have come early enough. He has been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and doctors have no idea how much time he has left.
Though his new apartment is sparse, with just a few chairs and an old television, Sacre is grateful to finally have a place to call home.
VA's Bold Goal: End Veteran Homelessness in 5 Years
Published November 04, 2009 @ 11:53AM PT
Yesterday, Secretary of Veteran's Affairs Eric Shinseki make a promise: to end veteran homelessness in five years. While many have been pessimistic about this goal, calling it "overly ambitious" or "over-simplified," we can all agree on one thing: it's about time.
It's all too easy to wear an American flag, put a "Support Our Troops!" sticker on your car, but then scoff at "bums" on the street. Few people make the connection: wearing the uniform actually increases one's odds of ending up on the streets.
Today, roughly 1 in 3 homeless adult men is a veteran, and 1 in 5 homeless adults have worn the uniform. Although veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan currently represent just 3 percent of homeless veterans, they are winding up on the streets at rates faster than vets from previous wars.
But perhaps the Obama Administration's bold commitment will reverse this unacceptable trend. According to CNN, the Secretary Shinseki's plan includes trying to leverage existing education and jobs programs, boosting the ability of veteran-owned businesses to compete for federal contracts, and spending an additional $3 billion on medical services and homeless programs.
While it's hard to predict if this infusion of money will amount to success, the most encouraging part of the VA's plan is that they are embracing new and innovative approaches. Rather than increasing shelter budgets, more funding will be directed towards homelessness prevention. The new VA plan increases its current homelessness prevention budget by $400 million, 85 percent of the funds benefitting health-care costs. This finally acknowledges that veteran homelessness is often the result of untreated health problems, like mental health issues and substance abuse.
"My name is Shinseki, and I am here to end veteran homelessness."
If the Secretary's opening line during his remarks to the National Summit on Homeless Veterans is any indication of his gusto, then we're off to a good start.
Many Veterans Still Fighting for Health Care
Published August 31, 2009 @ 09:05AM PT
Today, there are more Vietnam veterans living on the streets than the number of soldiers who died in that war. The plight of many of these men and women is directly linked to the lingering effects of PTSD and our failure to provide proper health care. Comprehensive health care reform will finally gives us the opportunity to do right by these brave soldiers and prevent a future generation of war veterans from ending up on the streets.
There are currently one million U.S. veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental illness not even recognized as a mental illness during the Vietnam era (it was passed off simply as "shell shock"). This disorder can manifest itself in a number of ways that could ultimately lead to homelessness, such as depression or substance abuse. What's more, it may not be evident until years after the traumatic experience, which makes the all-important diagnosis and treatment difficult.
Sgt. Gil Riviera, for example, experienced a frightening PTSD-induced flashback on the streets of New York City, 30 years after returning from Vietnam. It was only then, after a potentially dangerous incident, that Riviera received the mental health care he needed.
Today, returning war veterans are guaranteed only five years of medical care after returning from war. After that five-year window, the burden of proof is on each veteran to prove their illness in order to receive proper care. After filing a claim in a veterans service office, they must use "supporting documents, deployment records, employment records, documents of medication problems and anything else to strengthen their case," according to Medill. If that's not enough, each veteran must provide documented evidence of where they were stationed during their service and whether there was combat in the area.
In other words, we trust our soldiers to put on the uniform and potentially make the ultimate sacrifice, but we don't believe them when they ask for medical or mental health assistance.
It's not hard to see why many veterans don't even bother getting involved in the system. A 2007 Harvard study found that over one million American veterans do not have health insurance. In addition, 3.8 million members of veteran households are uninsured - and that number continues to grow.
As the nation continues to discuss comprehensive health care reform, we cannot forget that universal coverage will improve the delivery of critical mental and physical health care to the men and women who have worn the uniform. At the same time, we will do right by our next generation of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, preventing thousands from ending up on the streets.
VA Announces Summit to End Vet Homelessness in 5 Years
Published August 29, 2009 @ 07:21AM PT
Obama has committed to ending homelessness for the 160,000+ veterans without a home in America. It's a monumental task, one that will take significant resources, coordination, and leadership. But with the right solutions, the right collaborations, and- most importantly- the right leadership, it can happen.
Imagine that - we might just be five years away from living in a country where no veteran sleeps on the streets.
This week, the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs announced a summit: "Ending Veteran Homelessness in Five Years." It will be held November 3rd-5th in Washington, D.C. The idea behind the summit is to get people talking; providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, information, and best practices to enable service providers from across the country to tackle veteran homelessness realistically and effectively.
Here's the cool thing: conference organizers are looking for your provider expertise. Abstracts are now being accepted for oral presentations, booths, or interactive presentations. Learn more at the National Alliance to End Homelessness website.
Abolishing homelessness among veterans is no small task. If we're going to do it, we need to talk to each other, share best practices, and work collectively.
Blocks from the White House, Homelessness Persists
Published August 24, 2009 @ 07:30PM PT
With the Obamas vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is vacant this week. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the streets surrounding the White House, streets that thousands of people call "home." Washington, D.C. has one of the most highly concentrated homeless populations in the country and despite a supportive administration and a massive allocation of funds, homelessness in the city is on the rise.
Poppy, pictured above, it one of the thousands who lives on the streets of The District, McClatchy reported today. Poppy is a veteran, a 36 year-old man who carries a bow tie in his luggage for job interviews. He has lived on the streets of D.C. for over a year.
Washington has one of the highest concentrations of homelessness in the country. According to the most recent point-in-time count, 6,200 people are currently homeless on the streets of our nation's capitol; a 7.5 percent increase since 2007. What's more, a changing population is creating new challenges for providers. Family homelessness has increased 15 percent since 2007, and with the recession in full swing, case managers are seeing even more families, many are out of work and unable to make ends meet.
Clearly, the Obama Administration understands the gravity of the homelessness problem, as well as the severe implications of being homeless. Back on March 24, he said, "Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." And last month, HUD Secretary Shawn Donovan told attendees of the National Conference to End Homelessness, "A civilized society does not allow someone to live, or die, on the streets."
But despite this bold rhetoric by our fearless leaders, homelessness persists beyond the perimeter of the meticulously manicured White House lawn. Despite the $1.5 billion in recovery funds allocated for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing back in February, most of these funds have yet to reach those sleeping on the sidewalks or in cars.
While the federal level support is desperately needed, it is also rejuvenating for those who have been affected by homelessness. But this high-level support does not erase the frustration from the lack of widespread concern at the community level. It begins with indifference to people on the streets and culminates with a lack of outrage that people in our society are forced to live this way.
Poppy, the man pictured above, said it best: "I've seen men lay right in the middle of the road and people walk by like they're not there. If that was a whale, if that was a dog, wouldn't someone save it?"
Photo from McClatchy: Poppy Cali has been homeless on the streets of Washington D.C. since July 2008. He makes his home nowadays under the Whitehurst Freeway near the Kennedy Center in Northwest Washington.
Obama Commits to Ending Veteran Homelessness
Published June 06, 2009 @ 04:26AM PT
Ending homelessness for over 160,000 veterans in five years is no small task. But the Obama administration has pledged to do just that. And with the recent creation of a new office, the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs' National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, the administration is certainly moving in the right direction.
Although just one half of one percent of the VA budget is currently directed towards combatting veteran homelessness, perhaps this new office will change things up a bit. In the meantime, take a peek at their snazzy new website, it contains a lot of eye-opening information. Case in point: here are six figures that jumped out at me (all stats are from this page):
- About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services.
- Current population estimates suggest that about 154,000 Veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.
- Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era Veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war.
- Almost all homeless Veterans are male (about three percent are women), the vast majority are single, and most come from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds.
- About 45% of homeless Veterans suffer from mental illness and (with considerable overlap) slightly more than 70% suffer from alcohol or other drug abuse problems.
- Roughly 56% of homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic.
Ending veteran homelessness in five years will take a serious infusion of resources, coordination of services, and overhaul of the way we treat our vets after their service. But there's no question that we can achieve this goal with the right leadership and support.
