Homelessness is a social issue in the United States of America, one that has been with us for decades, if not for our entire history. Of particular concern within the scope of this paper is the subject of homelessness among military veterans. This paper will examine the issue as a social problem, and look at contributing factors and current solutions.
In order to address the problem, it is necessary to understand certain terms. The definition of the term ‘veteran’ is given in 17 USC Sec. 101 of the U.S. Code: “The term ‘veteran’ means a person who served in the active military, naval or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” In her report for the Veterans Administration (VA) entitled “Veterans and Homelessness”, Libby Perl defines a homeless veteran as someone without adequate nighttime residence, or someone who will be without housing within 14 days (3).
1. Is There a Problem with Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans?
America has been at war for thirteen years. According to ABC News, between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2011 “…2,333,972 American military personnel had been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or both, as of Aug. 30, 2011. Of that total, 1,353, 627 have since left the military….” (Martinez). The article states that the 2010 national census counted the U.S. population to be 308,745,538, drawing the conclusion that only 0.75% of the country’s population serves active duty. It also states that there were 22,658,000 living veterans, which makes up approximately 7% of the U.S. population. The importance of these ratios will become more evident.
In 2009, the United States government acknowledged there is a problem with the rate of homelessness among veterans...
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...s Internet Ventures. 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .
Perl, Libby. Veterans and Homelessness. November 29, 2013. RL34024. Web. March 4, 2014.
Solari, C., Cortes, A., and Brown, S. United States. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Office of Community Planning and Development. The 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Volume II Estimates of Homelessness in the United States. Washington. GPO: 2012. Web. March 1, 2014.
Women Veteran Profile (cited as such). United States. The Department of Veterans Affairs. Women Veteran Profile. Washington. VA: 2013. Web. March 4, 2014.
Veterans are overrepresented among the homeless population in the United States at 40% as it relates to poverty (Fargo, et al. 2012). Research indicates that poverty, lack of support networks, mental illnesses, finances, childhood experiences, substance abuse, and overcrowded or substandard housing are some factors that contribute to homelessness among veterans. Additionally, study shows that homelessness among veterans is at a higher percentage in the categories of age, race, and gender as it relates to the contributing factors (Fargo, et al. 2012). Donna Washington, et al. (2010) observed certain characteristics associated with homelessness such as sexual assault during military service, unemployment, disabled,
Homelessness is one of the biggest issues society (Unites States) faces today. Homelessness is caused by lack of affordable housing, economic situations and decline in federal funding for low income families and the mentally ill. A homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family) including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private (shelters) facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. This definition of housing is used by the U.S Department of Healt...
In the article, Numbers, it states, that the estimated number of homeless veterans in the United States was 200,000 (Lamarque). This article was based on the statistics of homeless veterans from 2006, meaning the number of homeless veterans has increased. This statistic represents how many veterans are homeless and how much is not being done about it. According to Veteran's Inc, between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless at sometime during the year. This means that since 2006, the number of homeless veterans have doubled, possibly even quadrupled over the past few years. Homeless veterans make up a huge portion of the homeless
...erging Adult Homeless in Two U.S. Cities. National Association of Social Workers, 58(2), 173-175. doi: 10.1093/sw/swt006
Our soldiers can’t afford the cost of living because they enrolled in the military at a young age. Adding a drug/alcohol free facility for our homeless veterans will reduce rates for everything. If we can’t take care of our own military personnel, who will ever want to serve for our country knowing they won’t get anything beneficial from it. The majority of our homeless veterans are males with the percent of 33. Even women are left homeless after returning home with a percentage of 10. The numbers for both male and female homelessness is said to rise as more people are enlisting into the service. People in today’s society take advantage of our soldiers and veterans. It’s very disrespectful knowing that there are veterans out there on the street and not one person will do anything. People need to start taking action to make a change. Without a change being made, soldiers are going to going to continue to be homeless and lack the care they need. (Cole para
Homelessness is a major public health problem throughout the United States due to increasing income disparities.1 About 650,000 people are homeless on any given day.2 Homelessness not only affects individuals, but families which include adults, children who may also experience mental illness, disabilities, or substance abuse.3 Homelessness is correlated with mental illness, substance abuse as well as loss of employment, poor health and, limited access to resources. While the state budget immediately considers fund housing initiatives to solve chronic homelessness it may not be the most efficient policy that this population needs. Housing does not provide necessary health services, may offer unequal aid to individuals and families, and may not be a priority for those individuals who are homeless. The state government should not fund housing policies for the homeless.
With nearly 3.18 million people in the United States, there are 610.042 individuals who are homeless which calculates to about nearly one in five individuals (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and HUD/US, 2013). At any time situations can change that can render an individual’s homeless. There are no qualities that exempt individuals from the chances of becoming homeless. However, there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless. Homelessness can be contributed to a number of situations such as occupational stress, financial stress, mental health issues, substance use, gender, age, race, disabilities, incarceration, chronic illness, and family stress.
Veteran homelessness must be attacked at multiple levels in order to ensure that it does not turn into a revolving door. So beyond simply providing temporary housing support we will also have to improve our veteran’s lives for the long-term. This entails treatment for their PTSD by providing them with access to health and wellness clinics, recovery resources, peer support groups, and individual counseling. (Note: Key information from HYPERLINK "http://www.voail.org" http://www.voail.org).
“Homelessness is a symptom of systemic poverty” (www.kansascity.com). Since 2012, the homeless rate has risen more than 7% in Kansas City, MO alone. According to a 2012 count survey by the homeless coalition services, roughly 2,434 unduplicated individuals were homeless in Kansas City. Of those 70% were sheltered and 30% were on the streets. Since reported on any given night here in the metro more than 3,000 adults and 7,500 kids are homeless in our area. We are not sure why the rate has risen so much over the years. “Maybe because the declining economy is almost certain for the external event most commonly said to make people homeless” (Shumoky, Neil Larry). Many people who are homeless are, victims of domestic violence, after deciding to leave an abusive relationship, they often have nowhere to go for those who have few resource. Also, Lack of money needed for housing and having to wait on a list for assisted housing means they have to chose between staying with an abuser or living on the street with their kids. People with HIV/AIDS, those people often get depressed and suicidal. The cost for medications and treatments for people living with HIV/AIDS get too high for people to keep up with. They also are at risk of losing their jobs because of discrimination or absences health-related. A few more are people with a mental illness and substance abusers. Also, Veterans, who once served in this country. They were also effected by the economic crisis that hit a few years ago. Many also dealing with PTSD, are unwilling to get the help needed because of the shame surrounding mental illness. So many turn to alcohol/drugs as an escape from the terrible and haunting memories of the war. Some of their families give up on them. Not being ...
"Homelessness--women veterans' service award?" Monthly Labor Review Nov. 2012: 36+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
How about they go get a real job.” Being homeless doesn’t have to mean you live on the streets and ask for money every day. Any person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless. It doesn’t have to be someone who didn’t attend college or chose the wrong path and ended up being homeless. Some people can’t really help what medical issues they have like veterans; about eleven percent of the homeless adult population are veterans. Why veterans? Lots of veterans live with lingering effects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. With that being said, military occupations and training are not always transferable to the civilian workforce, placing some disadvantages when it comes to competing for
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .
The National Alliance to End Homelessness identified under 600,000 people who are homeless in the nation, in the past year. “This translates to a national rate of homelessness of fewer than 18 homeless persons out of every 10,000 persons in the general public on a single night “(National Alliance,
“Homelessness continues to be a particularly troubling problem facing American society. Perhaps, even more troubling is the disproportionate share of veterans among the American homeless. Simply put, it is unconscionable that people who have often sacrificed a great deal in service to their country should face such deplorable circumstances upon their return to the home front. While the causes of homelessness among veterans are numerous and complex, research demonstrates that child support obligations play a major role in impeding the ability of homeless veterans to leave the streets and return to productive society.” (Berenson, 2011, Para.
Although most people know what homelessness is and it occurs in most societies, it is important to define because the forces of displacement vary greatly, along with the arrangement and meaning of the resulting transient state. The Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 defined a homeless person as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as streets, cars, movie theaters, abandoned buildings, etc.” Resent surveys conducted in the U.S. have confirmed that the homeless population in America is extremely diverse and includes representatives from all segments of society, including: the old and young, men and women, single people and families, city dwellers and rural residents, whites and people of color, employed and unemployed, able workers and people with serious health problems. The diversity among people that are homeless reflects how difficult it is to generalize the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. Robert Rosenheck M.D., the author of Special Populations of Homeless Americans, explains the importance of studying homelessness based on subgroups, “each subgroup [of homeless people] has unique service needs and identifying these needs is critical for program planning and design.” Despite these diversities, homelessness is a devastating situation for all that experience it. Not only have homeless people lost their dwelling, but they have also lost their safety, privacy, control, and domestic comfort.