Homeless Veterans In America "Help Our Heroes"
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Homeless Veterans In America "The Facts"
It is disheartening to realize that there are veterans who, after faithfully and courageously serving their country, end up homeless and living in the streets of the country that they served. Such a fate is certainly not what a veteran deserves.
I made this page because I would like to help our homeless Veterans, and wanted a way to reach new people like yourself.
Our Military Heroes have put there lives on the line for our freedom and I would like to help those less fortunate. Helping our veterans is my way of giving back.
"Leave No Man Behind" Says our Government
This lens has been created to help raise awareness to our Nation and its people of the major problem caring for our Veterans.
It is a disgrace to ourselves and our Nation to let such a thing happen to our Heroes who fought to keep America free.
You will find here many resources, stories from our homeless, interviews, news, statistics, and much more.
You will also find ways you can help our homeless Veterans, how you can make a difference in there lives.
.So please America Wake up, step up, and HELP.
One Man Once Said
"As long as there are veterans or veteran family members searching for shelter on the streets...we have failed in our duty to honor the commitment of the brave men and women who chose to serve."
Senator Barack Obama, 2007
2012 And we are still failing Sir !
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A word to the wise
If you see someone anyone with a sign saying homeless veteran please help. NEVER! Give any money to these people. Food or clothing but never money. There are too many scams to know where your money is going. And you may be helping an addict.
There are many reputably charities to give to that help veterans seeking help.
Homelessness results from a complex set of circumstances that require people to choose between food, shelter, and other basic needs. Only a concerted effort to ensure jobs that pay a living wage, adequate support for those who cannot work, affordable housing, and access to health care will bring an end to homelessness
Homeless Statistics
According to NATIONAL COALITION for HOMELESS VETERANS
50% have substance abuse problems
67% served three or more years
33% were stationed in a war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
89% received an honorable discharge
Seven out of 10 Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless.
-Pras Michel-
Here is some key information about the final FY 2012 appropriations bills as they relate to homeless veterans programs:
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Most notably, $75 million for new permanent supportive housing (HUD-VASH Program) vouchers for chronically homeless veterans has been signed into law. This funding will bring the total number of HUD-VASH vouchers to about 49,000 - representing 80 percent of the Obama Administration's initial target of 60,000 vouchers needed to end chronic veteran homelessness.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Direct programs to assist homeless veterans are funded at $939 million, including $224 million for the VA Homeless Veterans Grant and Per Diem Program - a $74 million increase over the FY 2010-11 levels. HUD-VASH Program support services are funded at $202 million - an increased investment over the previous fiscal year of about $50 million. The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program is funded at about $100 million.
Department of Labor
The DOL Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) is funded at $38.26 million, a $2 million increase over the previous two fiscal years. The Veterans Workforce Investment Program (VWIP), meanwhile, is funded at $14.62 million, a $5 million increase over the previous two fiscal years.
A study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty states that approximately 3.5 million people in America, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year.
Without a stable place to live and a support system to help them address their
underlying problems, most homeless veterans bounce from one emergency system to the
next-from the streets to shelters to public and VA hospitals to psychiatric institutions and
detox centers and back to the streets-endlessly. The extremely high cost of this cycle of
homelessness, in human and economic terms, can be seen in the lives of many veterans.
There are 200,000 homeless veterans on any one day, up to 400,000 during any year; 97% of the homeless veterans (194,000) are male, and 3% (6,000) female on any one day. These are the VA's best estimates. No one is really counting. 56% (112,000) are African American or Hispanic.
So Why Do Veterans Experience Homelessness?
Just like non-veterans, vulnerability to homelessness among veterans is
caused by a variety of factors. A study of Vietnam-era veterans by
Rosenheck and Fontana demonstrated that the two factors with the
greatest effect on homelessness were support in the year after
discharge from military service and social isolation.
This is consistent with the results of a study by Tessler and Rosenheck
which showed that homeless veterans experiencing the longest current
episodes of homelessness were those who also had "behavioral risk factors with possible early onset, and those who were lacking in social
bonds to civilian society that are normally conferred by employment,
marriage, and support from family of origin."
"
"I can't find the right words to describe when you are homeless," says Iraq war veteran Joseph Jacobo. "You see the end of your life right there. What am I going to do, what am I going to eat?
The government says PTSD is one of the leading causes of homelessness among veterans
."They come back, and they are having night trauma, they are having difficulty sleeping. They are feeling alienated," says Peter Dougherty, the director of homeless programs for the VA.
Unused & Underused VA Buildings to Be Developed for homeless Vets.
VA to Expand Housing for Homeless Veterans and Their Families
June 8, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to develop housing opportunities for homeless and at-risk Veterans by adding 34 VA locations across the country. This strategy will increase the Department's available beds by over 5,000. VA currently has 15,000 transitional beds available to homeless Veterans.
"This initiative will significantly support our efforts to eliminate Veteran homelessness and improve quality of life for Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We have a moral obligation to ensure that Veterans and their families have access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet."
Culminating two years of work to end homelessness among Veterans, a recent strategic study, the Building Utilization Review and Repurposing (BURR) initiative, identified unused and underused buildings at existing VA property with the potential to develop new housing opportunities for homeless or at-risk Veterans and their families through public-private partnerships and VA's enhanced-use lease (EUL) program. Under the EUL program, VA retains ownership of the land and can determine and control its reuse.
Additional opportunities identified through BURR will include housing for returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and their families, assisted living for elderly Veterans and continuum of living residential communities.
The project will support VA's goal of ending Veteran homelessness by providing safe, affordable, cost effective, and sustainable housing for Veterans on a priority basis.
To expedite the project, contractors will be asked to develop multiple sites in a region. VA will hold a one-day national Industry Forum in Chicago for interested organizations on July 13, 2011. For information regarding the forum contact VA_BURR@va.gov.
Supportive housing projects are planned for homeless Veterans and their families at 23 VA sites: Tuskegee, Ala.; Long Beach and Menlo Park, Calif.; Bay Pines, Fla.; Dublin, Ga.; Hines and North Chicago, Ill.; Danville and Fort Wayne, Ind.; Leavenworth, Kan.; Perry Point, Md.; Bedford, Brockton and Northampton, Mass.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minn.; Fort Harrison, Mont.; Castle Point, N.Y.; Chillicothe and Dayton, Ohio; and Spokane and Vancouver, Wash.
Under the enhanced-use lease agreements, Veterans will receive senior and non-senior independent living and assisted living at eleven VA sites: Newington, Conn.; Augusta, Ga.; Marion, Ill.; Topeka, Kan.; Togus, Maine; Grand Island, Neb.; Big Springs and Kerrville, Texas; Salem, Va.; Martinsburg, W.Va.; and Cheyenne, Wyo.
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program -IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Federal Program HUD joining with VA to help Homelss Veterans.
Department of Veterans Affairs HUD-Vash
On Thursday, May 20, 2010, a joint hearing of two Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittees - the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, and the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies - was held to examine the status of ending veteran homelessness, with a focus on the state of permanent supportive housing vouchers for homeless veterans. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO), Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) conducted multiple rounds of questioning and inquired into the effectiveness of the interdepartmental voucher program called HUD-VASH.
HUD-VASH Notice to Continuums of Care
Homelessness remains a significant problem within the veteran community. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is estimated that there are approximately 154,000 veterans are homeless in this country on any given night. Additionally, based on a recent HUD report submitted to Congress, homeless veterans make up approximately 19 percent of all homeless adults who accessed emergency shelter or transitional housing in communities across the U.S.
Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs announced a $75 million joint initiative known as the Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH). HUD-VASH combines HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community. Under this initiative, an estimated 10,000 new vouchers are available to permanently house homeless veterans and their families, including homeless veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, in this therapeutic program.
For additional information on HUD-VASH, including the Federal Register Notices, the estimated number of vouchers available in your community through this program and the name of the Public Housing Agency (PHA) associated with each VA site, Continuums of Care (CoC) should go to the following website:HUD-VASH VOUCHER. CoCs should also contact their local VAMC for specific information about how to refer homeless veterans in their jurisdiction for housing assistance through HUD-VASH.
Related HUD-VASH Information
(1) PIH HUD-VASH Operating Requirements - Complete Version:
(2) PIH (Headquarters) HUD-VASH Questions and Answers:
(3) MS PowerPoint slides related to HUD-VASH September 19, 2008: MS PowerPoint slides Satellite Broadcasts:
May 8, 2008:
Subject: Program Reporting Requirements for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
MS PowerPoint slides
MS PowerPoint slideshttp://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/vash/docs/oprq.ppt.
Please go to HUD's Webcast webpage to view the actual broadcasts.
Homelessness among New Veterans
IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff talks about homelessness among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff joined Bob Woodruff to discuss the shameful epidemic of homeless veterans on our nation's streets. The piece highlights different organizations who are devoted to putting roofs over the heads of these men and women who fought for our country. The VA estimates that over 9,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have been homeless since the wars began in 2001.
PTSD and Homelessness interview
The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) will end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and building the capacity of service providers.
NCHV also serves as the primary liaison between the nation's care providers, Congress and the executive branch agencies charged with helping them succeed in their work. NCHV's advocacy has strengthened and increased funding for virtually every federal homeless veteran assistance program in existence today.
Welcome to the most comprehensive source of information about America's homeless veterans and the programs and people who are working to save their lives and restore their hope.
Who is NCHV?
Contact Information
Staff
Board of Directors
Getting Started
Where to go for help
Women Veterans
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
2. Free and confidential
3. Trained VA counselors to assist
4. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
5. We have information about VA homeless programs and mental health services in your area that can help you
7. ou will be connected to a trained VA staff member.
8. Hotline staff will conduct a brief screen to assess your needs.
9. Homeless Veterans will be connected with the Homeless Point of Contact at the nearest VA facility.
10. Family members and non-VA providers calling on behalf of a homeless Veteran will be provided with information regarding the homeless programs and services available.
11. Contact information will be requested so staff may follow-up.
Supporting Veterans Charities
Supporting National VeteransFoundation
Public awareness programs that shine a consistent spotlight on the needs of America's veterans.
Outreach services that provide veterans and families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment, and other essential resources.
Homes for Our Troops
We are Homes for Our Troops, a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004. We are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. It is our duty and our honor to assist severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.
Deep beneath Vegas's glittering lights lies a sinister labyrinth inhabited by poisonous spiders and a man nicknamed The Troll who wields an iron bar.
But astonishingly, the 200 miles of flood tunnels are also home to 1,000 people who eke out a living in the strip's dark underbelly.
Some, like Steven and his girlfriend Kathryn, have furnished their home with considerable care - their 400sq ft 'bungalow' boasts a double bed, a wardrobe and even a bookshelf.
'These are normal people of all ages who've lost their way, generally after a traumatic event,'
'Many are war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.
They show how the destitute and hopeless have constructed a community beneath the city and have even dedicated one section of tunnels to an art gallery filled with intricate graffiti.
Operation Standown on 60 Minutes.
Correspondent Scott Pelley was skeptical when this story first crossed his desk. Three days at a San Diego camp for homeless veterans changed his mind.
VIDEO
Homeless Vets: Does Anyone Care? On 60 Minutes
The Oprah Winfrey Show
Homeless Heroes
They're 7,000 miles away from home, living in barracks in the desert and fighting terrorists to protect America's freedom. On top of dodging bullets and bombs, many female soldiers spend their days worrying about the civilian lives they left behind. Their children, bills, jobs and day-to-day responsibilities weigh heavily on their hearts.
Many female veterans find themselves facing harsh realities like homelessness when they return home. Experts believe there are at least 6,500 female veterans sleeping in cars, shelters or on the streets every night.
Homeless Female Veterans
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Facts About Homeless Veterans Video
Tammy Duckworth of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs talks about why homelessness is an issue for female veterans and their families.
Juanita Wilson and Tammy Duckworth Reunite Video
Veterans Sgt. 1st Class Juanita Wilson and Tammy Duckworth reunite for the first time since Tammy's recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center. Tammy lost both of her legs in a Blackhawk helicopter crash, and Juanita stood by her side for days at the hospital.
Homeless Veterans on Skid Row Video
Watch as Claudia Munson, outreach specialist from U.S. VETS, visits Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, searching for homeless veterans who need help.
A Day in the Life of a Homeless Veteran Video
See what life is like for Alicia, a homeless veteran, who lives out of her car and storage unit.
Supporting our Soldiers and Veterans
Thank You
We want to hear from you.
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ForEverProud
May 9, 2012 @ 11:35 pm | delete
- Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My son is a U.S. Marine and I so greatly appreciate all the information you have provided. I've added you link to my lens. Everyone needs to read your lens.
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CharlieGirl73
Mar 28, 2012 @ 2:19 am | delete
- I want to commend you for taking the time to provide the community with so much information on an epidemic that is not well publicized in large doses and which needs to me. Thank you for caring.
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TheHealthGuy
Feb 19, 2012 @ 9:01 pm | delete
- Thanks for creating this lens. Semper Fi
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gods_grace_notes Feb 1, 2012 @ 3:52 pm | delete
- You've been Pinned by a Giant Squid... Thank-you for this wonderful lens, and for your passion to help the homeless! Connie
Squidoo Lensmasters Who Care About Helping The Homeless In America
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mowryr
Feb 19, 2012 @ 10:10 pm | delete
- Thank you very much for caring about our heroes. Not sure pinned means but that's fine....
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ajgodinho Nov 7, 2011 @ 2:33 pm | delete
- It's sad to see veterans go homeless and hungry after sacrificing their lives to protect our freedoms. I think each one of us can make a difference in whatever small way it is. Remembering them especially this November.
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NicholasLore
Nov 2, 2011 @ 2:56 pm | delete
- Thanks for doing this!
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Bigdaddyguru
Oct 2, 2011 @ 9:25 pm | delete
- We need to take care of our heros
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bernie74
Sep 13, 2011 @ 8:00 pm | delete
- What a wonderful Lens, Thank you for sharing
Angel Blessed!
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Willj
Jul 27, 2011 @ 6:08 am | delete
- Great Lens I am a Vet who was Homeless once so I can really appericate this lens great job
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SlipAwayDesigns
Jun 30, 2011 @ 3:53 pm | delete
- Thank you for bringing some attention to the forgotten heroes, it is a sad fact that America in general is not very good at taking care of those who defend her.
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pawpaw911
May 14, 2011 @ 8:17 am | delete
- Thanks for doing this lens. I will lensroll it to my Really Support the Troops lens. Can't forget the Vets.
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mowryr
May 16, 2011 @ 7:23 am | delete
- Thank you I will do the same
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dougschreiber
Apr 26, 2011 @ 5:51 pm | delete
- Doug Schreiber, Vice President of the American Veteran's Care Organization. I really liked your pictures, statistics and effort to bring attention to our veterans. We are currently constructing a web site (amvetcare.org) which will be running by June. Meanwhile stay in touch at current e-mail address below.
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LikinTrikin
Mar 13, 2011 @ 8:47 pm | delete
- Great lens. Just wanted you to know that I stopped by and "liked" it. I am also adding this lens to the lensroll of the Missing in America Project lens, hope thats ok :)
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On The Web
- National Coalition for Homeless Veterans - Welcome!
- NCHV will end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, educating the public, and building the capacity of service providers.
- Overview of Homelessness - Homeless Veterans Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era Veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war -- and a small number of Desert Storm veterans are also appearing in the homeless population. Although many homeless Veterans served in combat in Vietnam and suffer from PTSD, at this time, epidemiologic studies do not suggest that there is a causal connection between military service, service in Vietnam, or exposure to combat and homelessness among Veterans
- DAV helps homeless Veterans.
- The official site of Disabled American Veterans. The DAV is an organization of disabled veterans who are focused on building better lives for disabled veterans and their families. Through a wide network of state-level Departments and local Chapters, DAV extends its mission of hope to communities.
The DAV helps homeless veterans make the transition from life on the streets to one of productivity and normalcy. Our motto, "We Don't Leave our Wounded Behind," is a heartfelt principle, a rule, and a promise that we, as a grateful nation, must keep. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to fulfill our promise to veterans by ensuring that no veteran who honorably served his or her country is ever left behind. - Caring for the invisible wounds that warriors bring home | A Tribute To Our Troops
- For Derrick Earley and thousands of returning soldiers like him, there are no visible wounds, but they are casualties of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars nonetheless.
Often they self-medicate with alcohol and drugs. Some end it all with suicide.
Clinically known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, the condition is an anxiety disorder some people acquire after living through or witnessing an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror. - Support Our Troops and Veterans
- I support our troops who are serving their country in the armed forces. "Give honor to whom honor is due." I can't think of anyone more deserving of our honor than our Troops who are serving our country of the United States, or our Veterans who are or did serve in the armed
- Coming Home Homeless: The New Homeless Among Veterans - ABC News
- ABC's Bob Woodruff reports for 'This Week with Christiane Amanpour' on veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who find themselves homeless upon their return to America.
- Coming Home Homeless: The New Homeless Among Veterans - ABC News
- ABC's Bob Woodruff reports for 'This Week with Christiane Amanpour' on veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who find themselves homeless upon their return to America.
- HUD AND VA ISSUE FIRST-EVER REPORT ON VETERAN HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA
- FEB. 11,2011
For the first time ever, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today published the most authoritative analysis of the extent and nature of homelessness among American veterans. According to HUD and VA's assessment, nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009 while roughly 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year.
This unprecedented assessment is based on an annual report HUD provides to Congress and explores in greater depth the demographics of veterans who are homeless, how veterans compare to others who are homeless, and how veterans access and use the nation's homeless response system. Read Veteran Homelessness: A Supplement to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
"This report offers a much clearer picture about what it means to be a veteran living on our streets or in our shelters," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Understanding the nature and scope of veteran homelessness is critical to meeting President Obama's goal of ending veterans' homelessness within five years." - Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness:
- Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Women's Bureau (WB) as one of its many efforts to help women veterans who are experiencing homelessness find jobs and successfully reintegrate back to civilian life. This document is an outcome of a two-phase Women's Bureau project that included coordination of listening sessions with women veterans experiencing homelessness and the subsequent development of quality resources for the community-based organizations that serve them. In addition to this document, the Women's Bureau has prepared fact sheets on the subject, conducted a "Woman-to-Woman Stand Down" for female veterans and is developing case studies to further shed light on the important issues affecting homeless women veterans.
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