Study: Veterans Make Up 1 In 4 Homeless

Nearly 200,000 Per Night In 2005, And Surge Expected From Iraq, Afghanistan Wars

(AP) 

Overall, 45 percent of participants in the VA's homeless programs have a diagnosable mental illness and more than three out of four have a substance abuse problem, while 35 percent have both, Dougherty said.

Historically, a number of fighters in U.S. wars have become homeless. In the post-Civil War era, homeless veterans sang old Army songs to dramatize their need for work and became known as “tramps,” which had meant to march into war, said Todd DePastino, a historian at Penn State University's Beaver campus who wrote a book on the history of homelessness.

After World War I, thousands of veterans -- many of them homeless -- camped in the nation's capital seeking bonus money. Their camps were destroyed by the government, creating a public relations disaster for President Herbert Hoover.

The end of the Vietnam War coincided with a time of economic restructuring, and many of the people who fought in Vietnam were also those most affected by the loss of manufacturing jobs, DePastino said.

Their entrance to the streets was traumatic and, as they aged, their problems became more chronic, recalled Sister Mary Scullion, who has worked with the homeless for 30 years and co-founded of the group Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia.

“It takes more to address the needs because they are multiple needs that have been unattended,” Scullion said. “Life on the street is brutal and I know many, many homeless veterans who have died from Vietnam.”

The VA started targeting homelessness in 1987, 12 years after the fall of Saigon. Today, the VA has, either on its own or through partnerships, more than 15,000 residential rehabilitative, transitional and permanent beds for homeless veterans nationwide. It spends about $265 million annually on homeless-specific programs and about $1.5 billion for all health care costs for homeless veterans.

Because of such programs and because two years of free medical care is being offered to all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Dougherty said they hope many veterans from recent wars who are in need can be identified early.

“Clearly, I don't think that's going to totally solve the problem, but I also don't think we're simply going to wait for 10 years until they show up,” Dougherty said. “We're out there now trying to get everybody we can to get those kinds of services today, so we avoid this kind of problem in the future.”

In all of 2006, the Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 495,400 veterans were homeless at some point during the year.

The group recommends that 5,000 housing units be created per year for the next five years dedicated to the chronically homeless that would provide permanent housing linked to veterans' support systems. It also recommends funding an additional 20,000 housing vouchers exclusively for homeless veterans, and creating a program that helps bridge the gap between income and rent.

Following those recommendations would cost billions of dollars, but there is some movement in Congress to increase the amount of money dedicated to homeless veterans programs.

On the same day Bowen stood outside the processing center in Philadelphia, case managers from Project H.O.M.E. and the VA picked up William Joyce, 60, a homeless Vietnam veteran in a wheelchair who said he'd been sleeping at a bus terminal.

“You're an honorable veteran. You're going to get some services,” outreach worker Mark Salvatore told Joyce. “You need to be connected. You don't need to be out here on the streets.”

[forthepeopl1]

SO GO AHEAD AMERICANS BE WEAK, THIS IS COMMING....IT IS TIME FOR A REVOLUTION,TIME TO STOP BUSH/CHENEY


The violence broke out after an estimated 80,000 ant-iBUSH demonstrators - led by university students - marched peacefully to the Supreme Court to protest constitutional changes that would greatly expand BUSH/CHENEY power if voters agree to the changes in December. Unrest, if it continues, could mar a Dec. 2 referendum on the controversial reforms
The amendments being protested would abolish presidential term limits, give the president control over the Central Bank and let him create new provinces governed by handpicked officials.
The protesters demand the referendum be suspended, saying the amendments would weaken civil liberties and give BUSH AND CHENEY unprecedented power to declare states of emergency.
``Don''''''''t allow AMERICA to go down a path that nobody wants to cross , during the march to the Supreme Court.
BUSH, who was first elected in2000, denies the reforms threaten freedom. He says they would instead move AMERICA toward what he calls ``21st century socialism.''''''''''''''''
In televised comments prior to the unrest, BUSH urged ALL AMERICANS to turn out en masse to vote for the reforms. In reference to the opposition, he said: ``Don''''''''t go crazy.''''''''''''''''

SO GO AHEAD AND VOTE HER IN AMERICA, AND SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT...

WITH 250 MILLION AMERICANS THEY CANT KILL US ALL..TIME FOR A REVOLUTION.

[Con Mohrat]

The Repugnant Congress was having a field day doing what Bush wanted these previous few years. He said "It''s the people''s money and they should get it back". So wih the hundreds of billions spent in tax cuts to the wealthy, alas, there was no money to fix Vet facilities like the rat-infested Walter Reed and those in all the States or pay for those Hitler-style invasions and occupations of muslim countries with Bush''s Crusades. In less han a year, an election will show if the voters think they did right.

[missingamerica]

It is difficult to spend years doing "whatever it takes" to get the job done and "the right thing" no matter what it costs you and then have to transition into American Business, where the primary rule seems to be "if it enriches you or furthers your career, it is acceptable behavior".

Very difficult.

[johnny343sc]

No one ever seems to care about the soldier that fights the nations'' wars- especially AFTER they fought in the war that is now part of their life.

The tale is as old as war itself: If he wins, he is celebrated... if he loses, he is shamed. Even the perception of one or the other can determine if he is lauded when he gets home or mocked.

Veterans benefits are the first to go in a tight budget- especially in a society that continues for a majority of its populace not to serve in the military. If a veteran is physically infirmed or debilitated somehow, they get care if they are lucky, but for those that are mentally/socially injured when they try to fit back into society, help might not come at all.

I don''t think this vicious cycle will change anytime soon.

Think about that while you drink your latte this morning in the warmth and comfort of your office or home today.

Yes, I''m an Iraq War Vet. Don''t call it "Operation Iraqi Freedom" because I fought for the freedom of the American people I so love and believe in. I''d do it again tomorrow, if necessary.

;)

[extremophil]

So 75% of all homeless AREN''T Veterans. Great news!

[mcvet]

I have had soldiers that have had a good life where their parents own businesses, and had rich life styles they chose to serve cause of patriotism.

Give time to your country!

Then they got out and went about their business, this is a volunteer Army not a forced Army think about that you t u r d s!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by jraf766 at 06:03 AM : Nov 08, 2007
+ report abuse

Not only are you disgusting as an American you''re just as ignorant. What difference does it make if they were forced by the draft or by "Free Trade" to "Join" the Military? We OWE them our freedom and everything else. NO ONE can tell you what Combat does to a person and not everyone has a rich pappy to get them into a nice cushy job stateside. Take your attitude and opinions and shove them where your head is now. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[brianbwb-2009]

Then they got out and went about their business, this is a volunteer Army not a forced Army think about that you t u r d s!
Posted by jraf766

Wrong son, remember Vietnam? Those weren''t volunteers, they were drafted.

The sons and daughters of the elite who served also went back to where they came from, so we are not even discussing them, there might be a paltry few who are homeless, but this article is about the real deal, homeless vets, not your dream version of it, and Iraq was not the first or the only unjust use of our military that threw away the soldiers after they gave their service.

The name calling is further proof of your inadequate powers of reasoning, it would be safe to assume you probably support Bush.

[jraf766]

The homeless have problems, there is several reasons they can be homeless, some soldiers were adopted, some divorced where that *** a s s wife took everything, some where the wife left them in debt, some where they killed someone and can''t get over it, some who saw their body in pieces, some who were shot at everyday, and the list goes on!

You will never know the truth unless you been there!

an Iraq Veteran

[jraf766]

I have had soldiers that have had a good life where their parents own businesses, and had rich life styles they chose to serve cause of patriotism.

Give time to your country!

Then they got out and went about their business, this is a volunteer Army not a forced Army think about that you t u r d s!

[jraf766]

Please dont talk unless you have served, if you symphathize then talk, but no negative s h i t.

You dont have a clue what war does to your mind!

Just wait till you are forced to go, then talk your
s h i t after you been selected from the selective service.

[jraf766]

The reason behind homeless vets is that we sleep anywhere in any type of weather, and for you guys that dont believe, you are enjoying the very freedom that we provided for you in your nice house with heat or air conditioning. They are sleeping on the streets cause they fought for the United States and it is definately their soil where ever they choose!

The wars goes back 200 plus years, think about that for a change.

You a s s h o l e.

Not only that not all of them are from the poor they are from the rich too s h i t b a g.

an Iraq Veteran

[brianbwb-2009]

Ever since Vietnam, the phrase "Support the troops" has never been more than "support my illegal agenda". Anyone who brings the light of truth against an American president''s illegal military orders is accused of not "supporting the troops".

Before they became troops, they were usually underprivileged teens, with no other way out of their poverty, regarded by the elite and their sycophants as no m,ore than human cannon fodder. After their term is served, they go back to where they were before they left.

If anyone really cared about the troops, they wouldn''t be in harm''s way for no reason other than the greed of those who sent them into it, and their service would be rewarded by lifelong support for the basic necessities of life, food, clothing, and shelter.

[gramto7]

It is a conspiracy of international proportions among the medical personnel who like fiends live off the misery of Vets. We should imprison those focusing on PTS as a rationale to undermine Vet lives.

Posted by glaswolf

WRONG!! It is not the medical personnel that are abusing/using the veterans. Medical personnel are trying to help them. Unless the person applied for a job at the hospital/clinic/etc. and was turned down because of PTSD, how can you say the medical personnel are the problem? It sounds to me like it is the business world which is causing the problem. That and the idiots that decide that, once a veteran has come home from whatever hellhole he/she has been assigned to, they no longer are deserving of our attention or money. Those idiots could not be further from the truth!!

[ramos937]

"The Veterans 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."

First, the plain fact is that the employees at VA are as upset and angry about this as anybody else. But, by now they are just numb and trying to do the best they can with what they have. Second, the VA has never ever been funded with adequate resources to do its job and never more so than in the past 6 years. Rhetoric is fine but only when backed up by action. The actions have never matched the rhetoric.

[glaswolf]

People forget that good jobs and positions are always scarce and anyone can assume vets have PTS as a procedure to justify not hiring vets and hiring their friends, other union members, etc... After the Vietnam War, we were sabotaged by that diagnosis and it was used to betray us. It is not possible to have such high percentages of illness. If Vets don''t go along with the diagnosis, they don''t get aid. If they do, they get betrayed for the rest of their lives. The theory is the Vet can go off on anyone anytime and are therefore dangerous. Also, Vets don''t necessarily accept intimidation, so it behooves criminal enterprises not to hire Vets less their crime be exposed. PTS was the worse curse the civilians ever conjured up to attack the Vets as a group. PTS should be outlawed for the damage and lives it has destroyed. Tell me any infantry personnel can''t work in production, like the kid said, he spent $300 per week until his money ran out. It is a conspiracy of international proportions among the medical personnel who like fiends live off the misery of Vets. We should imprison those focusing on PTS as a rationale to undermine Vet lives.

[alphaa10-2009]

Bush never thought Americans saw the disconnect between his slogans about supporting the troops and his own policy at Walter Reed-- not to mention vets in the steets and his cuts in the VA budget.

[andor3]

If you are proud of the USA, this should make you ashamed and angry. I am and it does that for me. What kind of people or country sends a person to fight and then ignores what the fight has done to them when they return?

[redbarron73]

These people are usually young and either looking for something to get away from inner city life, or naive and patriotic. Either way, vulnerable. Then they are shown a glamorized image of military life, coupled with a lot of bullcrap promises, only to be used to help make $$$ for the evil empire by either paying the ultimate price in battle, or just used up and discarded......"The FEW the PROUD, the PAWNS OF WAR"....poor souls.

[feelfree1]

Related:

"Veteran Suicides Highest Yet Recorded"

www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/terror/printable3439629.shtml

Remember- GODFUXBUSH!!! That is for certain!!!

[kansas1946]

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.
***********************
Repeated deployements, deployments that are too long, lack of equipment, lack of planning, and atrocity after atrocity, living in the middle of a civil war of Bush''s making.
Thanks President Bush for supporting our troops.

"Mission Accomplished"