The Homeless Research Institute released the alarming results of a study on veterans who are homeless. According to the research, 495,400 homeless veterans slept on the streets during the year 2006. That’s roughly 25% of the total number of homeless persons in the United States. And yet, veterans make up only 11% of the U.S. adult population.
Somehow, I think the “Support our Troops” attitude is a bit inauthentic in this country. I’m told they fight for our freedom. Then why do we enslave them once they are done fighting?
Here’s the press release from the National Alliance to End Homelessness:
Washington, DC – The Homelessness Research Institute, the research and education arm of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, released new research today on the number of homeless veterans. The report, Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans, is the first to provide data on the number of homeless veterans and the number of at-risk veterans experiencing severe housing cost burden in every state in the country. The report also examines the impact of high housing costs on low-income veteran renters, and makes recommendations on how to prevent and end homelessness.
* A total of 195,827 homeless veterans slept on the street, in shelter, or in transitional housing on any given night in 2006 and 495,400 were homeless over the course of the year, according to the analysis. The states with the highest rate of homeless veterans include Louisiana, California, and Missouri. The District of Columbia also has a high rate of homeless.
* The report exposes a shockingly disproportionate representation of veterans among the homeless population. Veterans, who represent only 11 percent of the civilian adult population, comprise 26 percent of the homeless population, despite the fact that, as a group, they typically have a lower poverty rate than the general population.
* Approximately 44,000 to 64,000 veterans were chronically homeless (i.e., homeless for long periods or repeatedly and with a disability).
* While veterans are generally well housed, a subset of the population (467,877 veterans) were experiencing severe housing cost burden, paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent, which puts them at a high risk for homelessness. The states with the highest percentage of veterans experiencing housing cost burden include Rhode Island, California, Nevada, and Hawaii. The District of Columbia has the highest rate.“These findings highlight the need to provide veterans with the proper housing and supportive services to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place. If we can do that, then we can greatly reduce the number of homeless veterans in general,” said Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “We recognize that ending homelessness among veterans is a significant yet achievable goal. The report outlines some preliminary policy steps that can be taken to shift our course so that no veteran is homeless.”
The report calculates that in order to reduce chronic homelessness among veterans by half, permanent supportive housing (housing linked with supportive services) needs to be increased by 25,000 units and the number of housing vouchers targeted to veterans needs to be expanded to 20,000.
In addition to increasing federal funding for affordable housing, the report recommends that the federal government establish a risk assessment process during the first 30 days of discharge and pilot a homelessness prevention program that includes eviction prevention and one-time assistance for veterans who fall behind on their rent. These programs would help prevent homelessness among the many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are returning from the current conflict.
Researchers estimate that acting on these recommendations would cost approximately $6.4 billion dollars and would reduce homelessness among all veterans by one-quarter and prevent homelessness among thousands more.
“It is our responsibility as a nation to support those who have served our country by, at a minimum, providing them with the stable housing and necessary supports to avoid homelessness,” Roman said.
Fannie Mae also released a new Gallup poll today that found nearly a quarter (24 percent) of veterans indicate they have been concerned they may not have a place to live, and 86 percent of veterans think that homelessness among veterans is increasing or staying the same. The company also announced a $200,000 grant to Common Ground that will enable them to build more permanent supportive housing units for veterans.
“Those who have defended our homeland should have a home to call their own,” said Daniel Mudd, President and CEO of Fannie Mae. “Our veterans served America and America must serve them. Fannie Mae is committed to implementing programs to prevent and end homelessness in America. We are pleased to ramp up our partnerships with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Common Ground and other leading organizations that share our commitment and will work toward real solutions.”
Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans analyzes data collected by local Veterans Affairs contacts. These data are not without limitations and should be used as estimates rather than precise counts. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey were used for the housing cost burden analysis.
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