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Veterans Make Up 1 in 4 Homeless in US Published: 11/7/07, 7:25 PM EDT By KIMBERLY HEFLING WASHINGTON (AP) - Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.
And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.
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.
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.
"We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because the mental health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth, director of veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.
Every election year we hear all the homeless are veterans. It brings tears to liberals eyes but time and again has been proven incorrect.
Phony soldiers.
Interesting Census Stats and "Been There" Wanabees:1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).
~ During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country was: 9,492,958.
~ As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. That's 390 per day.
During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.
The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country. Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense. (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365).
and the numbers keep growing....
I suspect the number is bogus.
The answer is quite simple though. Take each one of the Vet Status claimant’s finger-prints (all service members are finger printed) and run them trough DoD. If they are Vets by then God we should help and if they aren’t well, then.... other more “Legal” arrangements can be made.
Most homeless people have either a psychological problem, or their homelessness is sel-imposed as they refuse to deal with the reality (I guess you could call that a psychological problem, but not as serious). Somehow, I don’t believe whomever has the ability to serve in the military is likely to fit that description, and, let’s just say, I would be incredulous if 25% of all homeless people are actually veterans.
i do NOT believe it is out of statistical proportion to the country at large...November 11th is Veterans Day.. Now let me define a Vet. A former serviceman or servicewoman who wore the uniform and was honorable discharged.
The VA has a Booklet here to teach your children about Veterans Day. http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/docs/schoolkit.pdf
There is a lot of GOOD information on Veterans Day at the VA Web Site: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/
If you see a VET on the street, thank him, smile to her salute them as best you can. If you see a service member in uniform at a restaurant, buy their lunch, all of them. If a uniformed service member is in a line with you, give way let them up front. HIRE & PROMOTE VETs. Set these examples for your friends and families.
I have read that 67% of the homeless are alcoholic/addicts and/or mentally ill.
Many therefore by choice. Get a check for basics from some agency, spend it on booze/drugs and come up short for rent. Simple solution—go homeless—no rent to come up short for.
I am a vet, and quite resent the notion that vets from my era are bound to be alcoholic homeless losers.
Q: In 2006, how did the poverty rate of veterans compare with that of the general population?
A: It was about half the rate of the general population.
And we are supposed to belive the Homelessness Research Institute because . . . ?
Best Book on Phoney Soldiers: “Stolen Valor” How the Vietnam generation was robbed of its HEROs and its history. Written by B G Burkett & Glenna Whitley, 1998 by Verity Press. Excellent documented expose on this wide spread problem.
I just saw a clip on CNN interviewing two “homeless Vets” I have it on good authority that they probably didn’t ask either “vet” about the type of discharge he received for a good reason.