DAV.org  
 
Go Search
 
DAV: FULFILLING OUR PROMISES TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED Homeless Veterans
According to a report released in November 2007, Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general population.  Homelessness is not just a problem among middle-aged and elderly veterans.  Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding jobs.  The Veteran Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.  The Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau, 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.  In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.  Some advocates say such an early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future.  It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam Veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless.  Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable. 

Last modified at 2/7/2008 3:34 PM  by PA 08 Webmaster 

Copyright © DAV , All Rights Reserved. DAV is a tax-exempt organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible according to IRS regulation.