VA's Bold Goal: End Veteran Homelessness in 5 Years

categories: Action, Government, mental health, Policy, USA, Veteran Homelessness

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.

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Comments (6)

2012 and all the chronically homeless will be housed and by 2014 all the Veterans . Does that mean the kids will have to wait til 2015?

Divide and conquer. If we all do a little bit then we can get alot done eventually.

I just get confused when we talk about one group at the expense/ neglect of any other group. I get the impression that if the States hold their breath long enough they think the Federal Government will somehow pay the Bill?

Table for Fifty and seperate checks please? It must be a multiple personality convention.

Posted by Keith Bender on 11/06/2009 @ 12:17AM PT
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I think the key is to help empower small, veteran owned businesses and service disabled veteran owned businesses to help better market themselves and grow their businesses. Veterans are notorious for helping other veterans out. You help a business grow that is owned by a veteran, it's likely said business, when times are better, will turn around and help out in their community including putting forth programs and funds to help homeless veterans. While this isn't a cure for the problem, it certainly another way that we, as Americans and also humans, can help.

For a good idea of the amount of veteran owned businesses out there, take a look at the VA's veteran owned business website at VetBiz.gov - http://www.VetBiz.gov as well as VeteranOwnedBusiness.com - http://www.VeteranOwnedbusiness.com. Both have very comprehensive lists of businesses in the United States owned by veterans, active duty military, reservists and service disabled veterans.

Posted by Rachel Flack on 11/06/2009 @ 02:09PM PT
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I as a disabled Veteran will believe any of this stuff when it happens!!!!! Remember people the governmentwill lie to us when the truth would do better.

Posted by James Brouillette on 11/06/2009 @ 06:34PM PT
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Its a disgrace that support for our veterans is nothing but lip service.

No vet should be left homeless or discarded after being disabled in military service.

Posted by Jack Everett on 11/11/2009 @ 07:05AM PT
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It is a disgrace that ANYONE in America should be homeless, period.

What did our veterans ever think they were going to war for? To make sure there were billions to shell out to banks, apparently.

I can't recall a worse time for the average person living here, than now. The rising unemployment, the rising numbers of homeless, the rising rates of foreclosures-- maybe we shouldn't continue to have a congress that is composed of 44% millionaires, while the population, as a whole is only 1% that way. Whose interests do you suppose get represented in this scenario?

Posted by Cee Wolfe on 11/17/2009 @ 05:10AM PT
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"What did our veterans ever think they were going to war for? To make sure there were billions to shell out to banks, apparently."

The government promised that they would keep care of the veterans when they needed us. But when we need them they give out less then minimum wage. Why is that?

Posted by James Brouillette on 11/18/2009 @ 03:13PM PT
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Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.