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.
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.
Is it the stresses of war and inadequate job training? In addition, could it be untreated PTSD that keeps veterans from being productive once back in civilian life, thus causing the risk of homelessness? PTSD is one of the leading problems leading to homelessness among our veterans. As a veteran, myself, I understand the day to day struggles to come to grips with some things that were experienced as a soldier. For example, seeing fellow soldiers shot or killed, or the people you’re there to help turn on you, it’s a living nightmare.
The America I believe in provides food and shelter for homeless veterans. When homeless veterans come home from protecting our country they usually end up with no food, and no home. as said by pres. Barack Obama, “no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, a roof over their head and the care that they need when they come home”. I love that quote because it’s true.
Why should people who go to work and hold a job be subjected to homelessness in the greatest country in the world? Many other middle-class Americans are too shielded by their almost perfect lives to even see this. Many of them even have the audacity to say that homeless individuals or the lower-class is just lazy. Barbara Ehrenreich directly
“Homeless veterans deserve a place in the American dream” an article supporting veterans and the benefits they deserve. The article is written by Maria Cuomo Cole, a firm believer in veterans rights, which helped form my opinion and my essay. They gave us their lives and we can’t give them the assistance they need? Every day we hear about veterans who are losing everything and we just turn the other way. This problem won’t fix itself, and if we don’t do anything to about this problem it will never be fixed.
Veteran Benefits The issue of veteran benefits in the United States is not taken as seriously as it should be in our country, even though it is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. The lack of available funding for veterans is especially obvious when compared to that available for lower income citizens, or even illegal immigrants. Also, what does exist appears to fall short in taking care of veteran’s needs. Considering that these veterans are people who have risked their lives fighting for this country, the fact that they are not receiving immediate benefits or even what they have earned is unfair.
However, there are for sure people on the street that play a part in the increasing crime rates in some neighborhoods but just because they are homeless does not mean that they are criminals. A lot of times people that are homeless are veterans because they are suffering from some sort of mental disorder and they cannot hold down a job or they could not find a job after they got out of the military. And being in the military myself I can say first hand that fellow members are very hardworking and sacrifice so much day in and day out most of which people do not even realize so it really sucks to see veterans living on the streets they fought to
Veterans are some of the bravest men and women that you will ever know. They fought for our country in our most desperate hours and risked their lives so we could have the chance to live ours. It is such a shame that they are ignored and even homeless in today 's society. I had wondered how we could get veterans of the street and back into the job world. After research I found that there are programs and methods put in place specifically to help these struggling veterans.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 20 to 25% of the homeless population in United States suffers from a form of severe mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Mental illness is the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults. (National Coalition for the Homeless). People with mental illness who become homeless lack both proper medications for the illness and suffer from extreme psychological problems. It is often a challenge hosting and caring for individuals with mental illness because they suffer from mental issues such as delusions and bizarre conduct.
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.
They argue that the government should not be spending significant amounts of money to veterans or people that just came out of war. While they acknowledge that some veterans are so psychologically damaged by their experiences in battle that they cannot function properly in society and require disability payments, other veterans, they say, may become unnecessarily dependent on veterans' services. Although, all these are valid arguments that they can make, in the long run by helping veterans out it will greatly impact not only veterans individually but the society in a positive
Homelessness in America is changing military veterans and have always been at an increased risk of homelessness, but in the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan more young veterans are finding themselves. Without a home when they come home from war. Through the end of September, 2012 26,531 of them were living on the streets, at risk of losing their homes, staying in temporary housing or receiving federal vouchers to pay rent, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports. That's up from 10,500 in 2010. The VA says the numbers could be higher because they include only the homeless the department is aware
Homeless people. Lazy. Criminals. Addicts. These are just a few of the many things that come to people’s minds.
With the increased use of housing-based assistance programs being created, there is a positive outlook for homeless looking for assistance getting back on their feet by acquiring affordable housing. The ability to apply and gain benefits through state and federal programs is helping to provide food and some financial assistance to the homeless population as well as a community outreach programs being deployed in cities all over the country. New opportunities for employment and training are available for those who are homeless and looking to get back into the workforce and get off the street. The road ahead for the homeless population is, of course, paved with struggles and detours, but with the continued efforts of our country, states and communities we can work together to aid in the reduction of homelessness with the continued efforts in creating and maintaining affordable housing programs, assistance programs, and workforce development
