Who are homeless veterans?
The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
says homeless veterans are mostly males (2 % are females). The
vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged
communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance
abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in
World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama,
Lebanon, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in
South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served
during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for
at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.
How many homeless
veterans are there?
Although accurate numbers are impossible to
come by ... no one keeps national records on homeless veterans
... the VA estimates that more than 299,321 veterans are homeless
on any given night. And, more than half a million experience
homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one
out of every four homeless males who is sleeping in a doorway,
alley, or box in our cities and rural communities has put on
a uniform and served our country ... now they need America to
remember them.
Why are veterans homeless?
In addition to the complex set of factors affecting
all homelessness … extreme shortage of affordable housing,
livable income, and access to health care … a
large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering
effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse,
compounded by a lack of family and social support networks.
A top priority is secure, safe, clean housing
that offers a supportive environment which is free of drugs
and alcohol.
While "most homeless people are single, unaffiliated
men … most housing money in existing federal homelessness
programs, in contrast, is devoted to helping homeless families
or homeless women with dependant children," according to "Is
Homelessness a Housing Problem?" in Understanding Homelessness:
New Policy and Research Perspectives published by Fannie Mae
Foundation, 1997.
Doesn’t the Department
of Veterans Affairs take care of homeless veterans?
To a certain degree, yes. According to the VA’s
1997 report, in the years since it "began responding to the
special needs of homeless veterans, its homeless treatment and
assistance network has developed into the nation’s largest
provider of homeless services. Serving more than 100,000 veterans
annually."
With an estimated 500,000
veterans homeless at some time during the year, the VA
reaches less than 20% of those in need ... leaving 400,000 veterans
without supportive services.
Since 1987, VA’s programs for homeless veterans
have emphasized collaboration with community service providers.
What services do veterans
need?
Veterans need a coordinated effort that provides
secure housing and nutritional meals; essential physical health
care, substance abuse aftercare and mental health counseling;
and personal development and empowerment. Veterans also need
job assessment, training and placement assistance.
NCHV strongly believes that all programs to
assist homeless veterans must focus on helping veterans reach
the point where they can obtain and sustain employment.
What seems to work
best?
The most effective programs for homeless and
at-risk 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 and serves only one in 10 of those in need,
it is critical that community groups reach out to help provide
the support, resources and opportunities most Americans take
for granted: housing, employment and health care.
There are about 200 community-based veteran
organizations across the country that have demonstrated impressive
success reaching homeless veterans. These groups are most successful
when they work in collaboration with Federal, State, and local
government agencies, other homeless providers, and veteran service
organizations. Veterans who participate in these programs have
a higher chance of becoming tax-paying, productive citizens
again.
What can you do?
- Determine the need
in your community. Visit with homeless veteran providers.
Contact your local mayor’s office for a list of providers.
- Involve others.
If you are not already part of an organization, pull together
a few people who might be interested in attacking this issue.
- Participate in local
homeless coalitions. Chances are there is one in your
community. If not, this may be the time to start bringing
people together around this critical need.
- Send a financial donation
to your local homeless veteran provider.
- Contact your elected
officials, and discuss what is being done in your community
for homeless veterans.
Homeless
Veteran Fact Sheet:
DEFINITIONS, DEMOGRAPHICS AND ESTIMATED NUMBERS
What is the definition of homeless?
PL100-77 signed into law on July 22, 1987 known as the "McKinney
Act" provided a definition of homelessness that is commonly
used because it controls the federal funding streams.
Excerpt from PL100-77: Sec. 11302. General definition of homeless
individual
For purposes of this chapter, the term 'homeless' or 'homeless
individual or homeless person' includes -
(1) an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence; and (2) an individual who has a primary nighttime
residence that is -
(A) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed
to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare
hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the
mentally ill);
(B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals
intended to be institutionalized; or
(C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily
used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
Who is a veteran?
In general, most organizations use the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) eligibility criteria to determine which veterans
can access services. Eligibility for VA benefits is based upon
discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable
conditions. Benefits vary according to factors connected with
type and length of military service. To see details of eligibility
criteria for VA compensation and benefits, view the current
benefits manual at: www.va.gov/pubaff/fedben/fedben.pdf
Demographics of homeless veterans
"The Forgotten Americans-Homelessness: Programs and the People
They Serve" -- released Dec. 8, 1999, by the Interagency Council
on the Homeless -- is the National Survey of Homeless Assistance
Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), which was completed in
1996 and updated three years later. You can visit http://www.huduser.org/ and download
the NSHAPC reports from there.
Veteran Specific Highlights:
23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans
47% Vietnam Era
17% post Vietnam
15% pre Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% stationed in war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
85% completed high school/GED compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received Honorable Discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans
Service needs:
45% help finding job
37% finding housing
How many homeless veterans are there?
Accurate numbers community-by-community is not available. Some
communities do annual counts others do an estimate based on
a variety of factors. Contact the closest Department of Veterans'
Affairs Medical Center, Homeless Coordinator or the office of
your mayor or other presiding government to get local information.
The Urban Institute, in conjunction with the
National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients
(NSHAPC) done in 1996, projected that:
Each year, 2.3 million to 3.5 million people
experience homelessness in America. By taking 23% of that range
for veterans, that would indicate there are between 529,000
and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during
the year.
To get the full report "Helping America's Homeless,"
published by The Urban Institute Press in 2001, visit http://www.urban.org/
Incarcerated Veterans
In January 2000, The Bureau of Justice Statistics
released a special report
on incarcerated veterans. Following are highlights of the
report: Veterans in Prison or Jail.
Over 225,000 veterans held in Nation’s prisons
or jails in 1998.
- Among adult males in 1998, there were 937
incarcerated veterans per 100,000 veteran residents.
- 1 in every 6 incarcerated veterans was not
honorably discharged from the military.
- About 20% of veterans in prison reported
seeing combat duty during their military service.
- In 1998, an estimated 56,500 Vietnam War-era
veterans and 18,500 Persian Gulf War veterans were held in
State and Federal prisons.
- Nearly 60% of incarcerated veterans had served
in the Army.
- Among state prisoners, over half (53%) of
veterans were white non-hispanics, compared to nearly a third
(31%) of non-veterans; Among Federal prisoners, the percentage
of veterans who were white (50%) was nearly double that of
non-veterans (26%).
- Among State prisoners, the median age of
veterans was 10 years older than other prison and jail inmates.
- Among State prisoners, veterans (32%) were
about 3 times more likely than non-veterans (11%) to have
attended college.
Veterans are more likely than others to be
in prison for a violent offense but less likely to be serving
a sentence for drugs.
- About 35% of veterans in State prison, compared
to 20% of non-veterans, were convicted of homicide or sexual
assault.
- Veterans (30%) were more likely than other
State prisoners (23%) to be first-time offenders.
- Among violent State prisoners, the average
sentence of veterans was 50 months longer than the average
of non-veterans.
- At year-end 1997, sex offenders accounted
for 1 in 3 prisoners held in military correctional facilities.
- Combat veterans were no more likely to be
violent offenders than other veterans.
Veterans in State prison reported higher
levels of alcohol abuse, lower levels of drug abuse, than other
prisoners.
- Veterans in State prison were less likely
(26%) than other State prisoners (34%) to report having used
drugs at the time of their offense.
- Nearly 60% of veterans in State prison had
driven drunk in the past, compared to 45% of other inmates.
- About 70% of veterans, compared to 54% of
other State prisoners, had been working full-time before arrest.
- Incarcerated veterans were as likely as non-veterans
to have been homeless when arrested.
