Introduction The exercise to establish the number of homeless people in the United States is of critical significance. Homelessness poses immense challenges to efforts aimed at controlling infectious diseases and renders the homeless at immense risk of serious mental and physical health effects. This subject is particularly becomes sensitive on considering the significant number of homeless veterans in the US. Especially in the recent past, homelessness has emerged as a costly problem. In his seminal article in the New Yorker recounting a story of a homeless alcoholic man, Gladwell (2006) observed that homelessness costs the taxpayers considerably and focus ought to be given to housing provision and supportive care. According to Gladwell (2006), …show more content…
According to National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), the likely persistence of this problem is evident on considering that the homeless veterans are identified to be younger on average in comparison to the entire veteran population. Among these, 9 percent is made up of those aged between 18 and 30, while 41 percent are in the 31-50 years bracket. Nevertheless, veterans in the 18-30 age bracket make up only 5 percent while those aged 31 to 50 make less than 23 percent. Notably, the exact figure of the homeless veterans may be impossible to establish considering the difficulty posed by the transient nature of such populations. However, estimates by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development indicate that there are 49,933 homeless veterans at any given night. Apart from those who are already homeless, around 1.4 million more veterans are at risk of homelessness because of lacking support networks, poverty and miserable living conditions in substandard or overcrowded housing. The situation is compounded by the difficulty to transfer some of the military training and occupations to civilian workforce (NCHV, 2015). This places some of the veterans at a disadvantage in the search of employment in the competitive job …show more content…
The purpose of their study was to establish a better understanding of the characteristics of the mentally-ill homeless adults. Upon the collection of data through a review of the archived shelter medical records of the 74 subjects included in the study, the researchers aggregated and analyzed the data, calculating the medication adherence rates for the previous 30days. Mental illness and substance use disorders in the study were identified in 67.6 percent and 44.6 percent of the participants respectively. These findings prompted the acknowledgement that homeless individuals suffering from mental illness that specialized transitional shelters serve constitutes of population whose psychiatric, social and mental needs are complex. Thus, the characteristics of homeless populations are complicated by the numerous needs that need systematic assessment and thoughtful addressing to enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes (Viron, Bello, Freudenreich, & Shtasel, 2014). Importantly, it is evident that mental illness and addiction that can be attributed to substance abuse are common phenomena among the homeless populations. These prompt the study to recommend integrated and patient-centered treatment services with emphasis being given to addiction
In 2014 it was reported 49,933 Veterans were homeless. This is only 8.6% of the homeless population, before the use of HUD-VASH Veterans accounted for 67.4% of the homeless population, marking huge leaps forward in the efforts to end Veteran homelessness. (Fact Sheet, 2015) HUD-VASH was originally created in 1992 but did not gain support until 2007 (Driscoll). Congress added an abundant amount of funding or the program after issues with Veterans returning to a low economy aroused (Driscoll).
Many people around the world are homeless and majority of them are homeless veterans that served in wars like the vietnam war. The age range for veterans are usually in their 50 and 60’s and the numbers are increasing rapidly. In 2016 january ,communities in america identified 39,471 homeless veterans during the point in time. Veterans homelessness should be because and should be honored because of what they do for our country and they are heroes.
Veterans and our soldiers are coming home from war or getting out of the military and when they get home they can’t afford rent or they have a mental disease from war. Homeless veterans tend to experience homelessness longer than non-veteran homeless. This should not be happening to our soldiers. This is very undesirable for our troops to come home and becoming homeless. They fight for our freedom and our rights and we repay them by becoming homeless.
On a larger scale, more than one million people are homeless in America and of that population, 50 percent are chronically addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both (Substance abuse mental health, 2011 para 6). Research has brought more attention to risk factors that contribute to homelessness such as the epidemic of substance abuse.
Supporting Homeless Veterans Almost 60% of all veterans say that the VA is doing “only fair” or a “poor” job at taking care of the problems faced by serviceman (Chandrasekaren). Current soldiers, as well as veterans, are facing problems like not be able to find a job because of a disability or not receiving compensation for an injury that occurred while in the service. Many wait months upon months just to be seen by a doctor. The men and women protecting this country deserve the best help available, and they are receiving very little or no help at all.
One of the main causes of homeless veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. “ is a medical problem where
Simply put, a clear majority of the homeless are in fact veterans. The article Elderly Homeless Veterans in Los Angeles also defined that within a study all veterans “reported to have had deteriorating health mentally and physically,” but have you wondered if women or men are affected more? The U.S population is about 318 million, 49% of which is male and 51% of female. In a documentary titled Her War, Mimi Chakarova states that there are numerous government reports have uncovered that last year (2011) the number of homeless women had “more than doubled”. Chakarova (2012).
As time goes on, the rate of homelessness rises as the population rises. Homelessness then was mostly caused by a family’s history of being homeless, drug abuse, mental disorders, and tyrannical leaders forcing his people into poverty. In modern times, several organizations are now trying to end homelessness by building cheaper housing projects more affordable to the poor and homeless shelters; these projects usually cost a fair amount of money.
It is indiscriminate and has no concern for one’s status, race, ethnicity, background, religion, and so on. Therefore the fear of homelessness is the fact that it can happen at any time.. As a result of the United States economic situation, there is a lack of jobs and livable wages provided for growing communities. The insufficient provision of financial aid is among the factors that cause homelessness. Unable to be financially independent, the homeless tend to meet their financial needs through illegal avenues. These avenues involve the interaction with drugs and
The article “The State of Homelessness in America” provides
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development there can be 39,371 veterans homeless on any given night. I ask myself why these men and women have given it all for their country and for us and now this is how we treat them? Well the opposing side would probably gone on the say it is their fault that they are homeless and it is their fault that they made the mistakes to be in that the position, this true, but where is the VA to help them, where is our government to help them? They are nowhere to be found and really the only way our homeless Veterans who sacrificed their lives for us get any help is from charities.
Veteran Homelessness On any given night, approximately 49,000 American veterans are homeless, men and women that served our country and fought for our freedom (Unique Issues). Most are suffering from traumatic brain injuries, physical disabilities, and some are over the age of 50 (Unique Issues). Veteran homelessness continues to be a persistent problem. A system in which increased funding goes to housing and providing care to veterans would drastically help these peoples if not homelessness will continue to grow because of the United States’ involvement in the Middle East.
In the United States homelessness has been a substantial problem for decades. The reason for homelessness is greatly debated especially
Homeless veterans need more help After all the things that homeless veterans have done for this country, they need more help. Many times, veterans will be seriously injured while in service. Whether it’s a physical or mental injury, they are serious.
The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.