HUD-Vash Homeless Veterans Program Analysis

When President Obama was elected into office in 2008, one of his promises was to reform the American Health Care System. On March 23, 2010 he succeeded by enacting the Affordable Care Act into law. According to the official Medicaid website (2015), “The Affordable Care Act is a combination of two piece of legislation titled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The main goal of the Affordable Care Act is to provide American citizens with better health security by putting in place health insurance reforms that will: Expand coverage, hold insurance companies liable, lower health care cost, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans.” The Affordable

In NYC there is a high percentage of homeless veterans in the streets and subways all around the city what causes people to be homeless are traumatic issues that may have occurred in sometime in their life mental and physical disabilities can be a cause of it even maybe a loss of a love one, family issues, loss of a job also that will also cause someone to be depressed or have traumatic stress disorder can cause a large portion of

A lot of America’s veterans are now having to live on the streets after coming home from combat. and a problem like this should not be occurring. There are close to 50,000 homeless veterans here in America. This is due to the lack of support networks for returning veterans and also the substandard pension veterans receive. There have been efforts to combat this problem but it is still a large problem all across America. Something needs to be done to really help these veterans and get them back on their feet.

Providing case management services can help the veterans overcome the barriers that stand between them and a secure stable life. Health and wellness services can benefit homeless veterans by providing health screenings, medication monitoring program, support groups and socialization skills training. Homeless veterans benefit from employment and training skills which include career counseling, training and education. Other varieties of supportive services in which a veteran may need food pantry, clothing, legal assistance and dental exam.

I chose this topic because there seems to be a growing epidemic of homeless veterans in our country. This is very sad when you think of how those men and women voluntarily signed up to serve. There are so many Americans that live by the slogan “Land of the Free because of the Brave” yet, you have so many brave men and women eating out of garbage cans and sleeping under bridges. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans there are several factors that contributed to displacement of veterans such as shortage of affordable housing, low income, and inadequately healthcare. As well as the lack of family and social support not to mention the returning home wounded veterans suffering with the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression

Helping veterans goes way back all the way to the 1600s. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress of 1776 encouraged enlistments by authorizing pensions for soldiers who were disabled. Later, individual states and even communities provided medical and hospital care to veterans. There is an increased need for extensive medical and disability benefits for veterans as medical technology is better able to save the lives of the soldiers. The increase in women veterans is also an issue at hand because

Most importantly, since 2005, over 70% of homeless veterans have been placed in homes, where they have the necessities, “secure housing, nutritional meals, basic physical health care, substance abuse care and aftercare, mental health counseling, personal development and empowerment… job assessment training and placement assistance” (FAQ about Homeless Veterans). Consequently, with the change of emphasis of health care service from medical specialist to primary care providers, there has been improvement of access to general and specialty services which are available to patients with and without disabling mental illnesses (Rosenheck). Whereas, more information is required to comprehend how mental injuries, such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries, affect certain individuals. Overall, it is important to focus on each veterans ability to care for themselves, rather than specifically on their mental health alone

The homeless veteran population is a concerning problem to the Veteran Affairs (VA). The population has been growing over many decades. To have a better understanding why there are so many veterans being homeless this paper will discuss many of the reasons why this is occurring. Veterans who have served in high combat can suffer from physical disabilities and mental illness that affect the normal daily tasks, but also who have not served can also suffer with the same issues. Suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), causes veterans to have a hard time transitioning back to civilian life after the military. With PSTD there is a higher risk of having problems with substances and addictions because veterans tend to self-treat themselves

Homelessness amongst veterans is a very big concern in the United States for those returning from the military. According to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (2014), it was estimated that there were about 49,933 veterans out at night (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). That is a big number for people who were out there serving our country and sacrificing themselves and putting their lives on the line. Many of them are coming to be in this position because of transition issues, substance abuse, mental health issues and housing limitations. We must be able to understand and relate to these issues that the veterans are having in order to help them overcome the homelessness and find housing and employment.

“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. On this issue, X and Y say veterans volunteered to serve and they got paid for what they did. Although I understand and to some degree sympathize with the point of view some Americans have, this is ultimately a question of loyalty. What’s at stake is not money but the lives of those who have already risked their lives. Therefore, we must take care of them , afterall they took care of us.

The crisis of homelessness among veterans has attracted the attention of political and economic officials for over 25 years (Thomas & Bridier, 2013). The homeless population in the U.S is 7% and it is estimated that a staggering 13 % of that population represents homeless veterans (Thomas & Bridier, 2013). Even though we know it exist, there remains a need to evaluate why homelessness is increasing? It is equally important to note that many veterans are slipping through the cracks because they don’t meet the imposed criteria of being homeless, given that they do not have prior addiction issues nor service related physical or behavioral issues to be eligible for emergency housing (Thomas & Bridier, 2013). Since 1993, there is a group called CHALENG (Community Homeless Assessment Local Education and Networking Groups), which is a government mandated program that was formed to join the forces with the VA and community agencies. Their goal was to unify and facilitate services for homeless veterans. It was ineffective due to the government not taking the necessary steps to understand the issues and individualistic needs of homeless veterans. The issues were in the areas of mental health, education, and employment services (Thomas & Bridier, 2013). Moreover, the Obama administrations came up with the initiative to end

According to the Homeless Research Institute, veterans compose more of the homeless population than they do the civilian population, formulating only 11% of civilian life compared to 26% of homeless population (Veterans Inc.). Although not all veterans wear camouflage, all face similar struggles upon returning to civilian life. Unfortunately as they return to civilian life their needs hinder. As a result, veterans face a future of poverty, illness, and above all, homelessness. Homelessness occurs as an unfortunate and common future for veterans due to high unemployment and poor health.

Department of Veteran Affairs to form the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program for homeless veterans. This program was started on the initiative of President Barack Obama to end the homeless veteran epidemic by the end of 2015 (Montgomery et al. 506). The program aims to “move Veterans and their families out of homelessness and into permanent housing” by helping them rent privately owned homes (Department of Veteran Affairs). The dauntless task is divided between the two federal departments; the Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to local housing authorities so that they may provide vouchers to eligible veterans while the Department of Veteran Affairs assigns case managers to veterans to help them obtain the available housing. The program also provides medical care and psychological support for veterans with mental and physical disabilities (Department of Veteran Affairs). Over 79,000 vouchers have been awarded, drastically decreasing the number of homeless veterans (Department of Housing). However, in order to eliminate the issue, the program must substantially increase funding, allowing for more vouchers and case managers to be created. While the number of homeless veterans has dropped from nearly 150,000 in 2009 to close to 50,000 in 2014, an increase in funding would finally resolve the nation-wide problem (Department of Veteran Affairs). In 2011, fifty million dollars was allocated to the housing program, which provided vouchers to nearly seven thousand veterans and their families; that is approximately seven thousand dollars for each family that year (Department of Housing). An increase in ten million dollars could boost the number of vouchers to 8400 a year. A minimal increase in federal taxes or a slight decrease in senseless congressional spending would easily account for an increase in funding to

Although there has been a decline in the number of homeless Veterans since this announcement, the current glide path suggests they will miss the goal unless services are expanded and more success is achieved. In fact, in 2012, VA served more than 240,000 Veterans who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless—21 percent more than the year before. These numbers suggest the VA is becoming more effective and is serving more of the demographic in need, but it also paints an unacceptable picture of nearly a quarter million Veterans who were faced with life on the streets that year. More disturbing than this is the fact the percentage of homeless female Veterans with children increases each year, despite current VA

Health disparities are common contributors to homelessness. A homeless person’s risk of being ill or injured increases between two and six times that of persons who are housed (Wright, 1990). The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (2011) estimates 26% of homeless adults living in shelters are living with serious mental illness and nearly another 46% live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders (“The 2010 Annual, 2011). Homeless populations are at increased risk of; injury, hypothermia, dermatological problems, violence, and infectious diseases such as; hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV. (Kushel, Evans, Perry, Robertson, & Moss, 2003). The vulnerable population of homeless children