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.
“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.
“states that the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly 9% being female. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.
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 in the United States has been an important subject that the government needs to turn its attention to. There has been announced in the news that the number of the homeless people in many major cities in the United States has been increasing enormously. According to United States Interagency Council on Homelessness reported that there was an estimation of 83,170 individuals have experienced chronic homelessness on the streets of the United States’ streets and shelters on only a single night of January 2015, which is a small decrease of only 1% from the previous year (People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, n.d.). The United States must consider this subject that most of the people underestimate it and not pay attention
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.
More than 150,000 veterans are homeless on any given night in the U.S. Nearly twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the year." (Leaving no soldier behind) In other words this proves that there is a huge amount of homeless
In fiscal year 2006, the HUD, Department of Housing and Urban Development, was presented a budget by the Bush Administration consisting of $528.5 billion for homeless programs (Romeo 1). The problem of homelessness and extreme poverty is not a new occurrence; but in past years more extreme measures have been taken to combat the issue as more people become homeless. Expensive social programs and housing developments for the homeless have been created to help battle the increasing issue. Homelessness is an expensive problem that will never end; furthermore, the condition of homeless people in America is affected by the type of education they receive, the state of the economy, and the amount of funds that are available to house and feed them.
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an ?I will work for food? sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nation?s indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education.
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
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...
The United States Department of Veteran Affairs is a government entity in which provides health care, general benefits, services and assistance with burials and memorials to all veterans (Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], 2013). However, there are smaller divisions within the VA that cater to certain interest groups such as women, minorities, homeless and disabled. In focusing on homeless African American women veterans, we are able to examine the policies and programs that cater three of the four interest groups simultaneously. The policies that we will be examining in relation to this group are women veterans’ health policy and homeless women veterans’ policy.
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.
Homelessness has become a serious problem in today’s society. Despite the organizations that help multitudes of homeless people, homelessness is continually increasing. In recent years, America’s culture has been changing due to economic, political, and social issues. These issues have caused a lot of stress on America resulting in abject poverty in several cities. Poverty is not nationwide, but if dealt with lightly, the affects can be catastrophic. Homelessness is increasing more than ever, and research proves that changing culture contributes to rising amount of homelessness.
Hopper, Kim. “Housing the Homeless.” Social Policy 28.3 (1998): 64+. Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.