WASHINGTON - Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.
And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.
The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.
In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.
Some advocates say the early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.
"We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because the mental health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth, director of veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.
While services to homeless veterans have improved in the past 20 years, advocates say more financial resources still are needed. With the spotlight on the plight of Iraq veterans, they hope more will be done to prevent homelessness and provide affordable housing to the younger veterans while there's a window of opportunity.
"When the Vietnam War ended, that was part of the problem. The war was over, it was off TV, nobody wanted to hear about it," said John Keaveney, a Vietnam veteran and a founder of New Directions in Los Angeles, which provides substance abuse help, job training and shelter to veterans.
"I think they'll be forgotten," Keaveney said of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. "People get tired of it. It's not glitzy that these are young, honorable, patriotic Americans. They'll just be veterans, and that happens after every war."
Keaveney said it's difficult for his group to persuade some homeless Iraq veterans to stay for treatment and help because they don't relate to the older veterans. Those who stayed have had success - one is now a stock broker and another is applying to be a police officer, he said.
"They see guys that are their father's age and they don't understand, they don't know, that in a couple of years they'll be looking like them," he said. (there's much more to read)
Perhaps you heard on the news today that 'homelessness has been virtually eliminated' in America' or as it appeared on Drudge 'homeless dips by 12%.' Sorry if my exhuberence is less than jubilant. I am very close to being homeless myself. Or more exactly, it is only by virtue of my charitable family that I am not homeless. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. Just a fact of my life.
I suspect these figures are vastly under-stated. I'll bet more like a third to a half of all the chronically homeless are veterans. We don't see them or can't find them. Most people don't really understand, even those who have been in the military sometimes don't understand. Military service can alter the very soul and psyche of human being.
They invariably go in very young, not nearly adults, still impressionable teenagers forced to become men and often asked to die. That changes a person. It starts with being treated like a number, a simple piece of equipment that exists solely for whatever purpose the government orders. It continues with the stark realization that nothing you are doing is helping in the grand scheme of things. It may, in your own small sphere of operations, but in the greater world, a soldier, sailor, marine or airman soon finds out that humanity is totally screwed up, will never be right and is really ain't worth dying for. After a few years of that, a person acquires a cynicism which is completely outside the ability of anyone who has never served to grasp. A cynicism so insidious and pervasive, that it will eat a man up from the inside out.
Sometimes that cynicism turns into self-loathing or self-hatred or worse, a hatred and fear of mankind. When that happens, a guy just stops participating and does whatever he can to stop feeling that way. Gettin' drunk can help, for a little while. Makes ya all friendly and social. Mr Happy. But then gettin' drunk doesn't work so well anymore and a guy might start using some much meaner things. Crack, heroin, meth whatever it takes. They'll get Mr. Happy back, for awhile. Then one day all that stuff does is make you sick. Physically, mentally and emotionally sick. Sick of the world. Sick of yourself. And sick of livin'.
Like I said, I'm one step from being homeless myself. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. Just a fact of my life. And there's a million more out there like me ... or worse. But you can't see 'em and you won't find 'em unless you look real hard. I suggest you do just that. Veteran's Day is comin' up soon - November 11th.
http://steelturman.typepad.com/thesteeldeal/2007/11/homeless-vetera.html
Was copied from this web address. I am not saying give the guy 5 dollars everytime someone asked for change on the streets, I know myself I wanted to say "why dont you get a job?" instead of beg for money, but reality is reality; some people worry if they have ENOUGH money this month. Some people just do not have any money period as the veterans that make sure you can sleep well at night. I didn't say to donate to homeless or even Veterans fund - just give you something to think on before you sleep so cozy at night.
