given when possible and links to the sites of origin have been provided below.
For many reasons it is difficult to fully account for the actual number of
homeless (including veterans) in the US. Many sleep in their cars, in the
woods,
or other hard to locate areas. There is not a national database
to help
track our homeless veterans. The statistics that are available
do not include the
many veterans that are at risk of becoming homeless.
Approximately 1/3 of homeless adults (one out of every three) in this country
are
veterans. On any given night 200,000 - 300,000 veterans are homeless.
Based on
various estimates it is calculated that 500,000 - 840,000 vets are
homeless at
some time during the year. According to the Department of
Veterans Affairs the
current number of homeless Vietnam era veterans
exceeds the number of
fatalities that occurred during the war.
According to recent studies, Florida ranks third in the nation in the
number of
homeless people, yet has one of the highest numbers of
homeless veterans.
The number of homeless veterans in Florida on any
given night has been reported
as 17,500 by the Florida Department of
Children & Families, or 18.4% of
Florida's homeless population. The
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
reported the number to be
19,394. In 2005, roughly 3,000 new homeless veterans
were enrolled
into Florida Department of Veterans Affairs homeless programs.
Homeless Veterans -
Specifics
Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation Enduring Freedom, Desert Storm & the military's anti-drug
cultivation efforts in South America.
Comparison to Non-Veteran
Homeless
Veterans become homeless for the same reasons non-veterans become
homeless
as well as due to veteran specific issues.
In the past two years 300 veterans who have returned from serving in
Iraq
(Operation Iraqi Freedom or OIF) & Afghanistan (Operation
Enduring
Freedom or OEF) have sought assistance for homelessness
& this number is
expected to grow. The National Coalition for Homeless
Veterans' Iraq Veteran
Project reported that OIF/OEF veterans are in
serious danger for homelessness &
chronic homelessness. They also
found that OIF/OEF veterans are becoming
homeless sooner after
their return from combat than seen in previous wars. In
addition
to the veteran homelessness risk factors noted above, the
researchers identified the following reasons for this.
Who & What Helps Homeless
Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs reportedly serves more than 100,000
homeless veterans each year. That is just a percentage of the number of
vets who
are homeless at some time during the year. Since 1987 their homeless
veterans
programs have stressed collaboration with community service providers.
According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans a "top priority
is
secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment which is
free of
drugs and alcohol." They state that "veterans need a coordinated
effort that
provides secure housing and nutritional meals; essential physical
health care,
substance abuse aftercare & mental health counseling; &
personal
development and empowerment. Veterans also need job
assessment, training and
placement assistance . . . helping veterans
reach the point where they can obtain
& sustain employment."
The most effective programs for homeless veterans, according to the
National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans, are "community-based, nonprofit,
veterans
helping veterans groups. Programs that seem to work best feature
transitional
housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free
environments
with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.
Because
government money for homeless veterans is currently limited . . .
it is critical that
community groups reach out to help provide the
support, resources and
opportunities most Americans take for granted:
housing, employment & health
care."
They believe these groups are most successful when they work in collaboration
with government agencies (Federal, State, and/or local) & veteran service
organizations and that "veterans who participate in these programs have a
higher
chance of becoming tax-paying, productive citizens again."
Stand Down is a place like that described above.
According to Peter H. Dougherty, Director of Homeless Veterans Programs for
the
Department Veterans Affairs, VA residential care programs like Stand Down
are
successful. Preliminary studies show that four out of five veterans who have
completed these programs remain suitably housed one year after discharge.
The Homeless Are In
Danger
Some of the dangers inherent to homelessness are easily known, for example,
those that stem directly from the lack of adequate shelter from the elements
and
food. Florida's homeless veterans are among the most susceptible to these
effects
as they are among the oldest and most at risk due to illness.
There is an increasing threat to the safety of the homeless. The number of violent
crimes against the homeless that have been reported* has
risen drastically in the
past few years. A 2006 study by the National Coalition for
the Homeless found
142 violent crimes (including 20 fatal attacks) committed
upon the homeless in the
US. This number demonstrates a 65% increase from the
number of violent attacks
in the previous year and a 170% increase from their
findings five years ago. The
crimes documented included rape, stabbing, battery,
and being set on fire. The
fact that in a significant number of cases, the crimes
were committed by teens
and young adults, for no apparent reason other than
boredom, is troubling.
*
The number of reported attacks, especially non homicide, is likely to be significantly
lower than the actual number of attacks due to the tendency of the homeless not
to report certain crimes and that crimes such as rape often go unreported.
Help Us Help Them
Donations help us provide support & services for these men.
Your financial contribution would allow our non-profit organization
to continue to
provide services to our homeless veterans.
Information Sites
Some of the above material comes from:
Circle of Friends for American Veterans
Florida Department of Children
& Families Office on Homelessness
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
National Coalition for the
Homeless
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Our Other Pages
Return to and/or visit these other Stand Down pages:
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