An Overview of National Programs for Our Homeless Veterans

It is a sad fact that our nation has a problem with homeless veterans. We should not have a problem with homeless veterans, because they put their lives on the line for us in the military. If the military gave its veterans what they have earned, through serving our country, this problem with homeless veterans would not exist.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA offers homeless veterans aggressive outreach, clinical assessment and treatment, long-term transitional assistance, case management and rehabilitation, employment assistance and supported permanent housing.

The Department of Veterans Affairs also provides some disheartening statistics regarding the homeless population. Approximately one-third of the adult homeless population served in our military. As many as two hundred thousand veterans are homeless on a daily basis.

We have more homeless Vietnam veterans today than military men and women that died in Vietnam. There are even homeless veterans that served in Desert Storm. The Department of Veterans Affairs claim that the largest causes of our veterans homelessness has to do with family background, lack of family and friends support, and personal characteristics, not with the military itself. In my opinion, the numbers are too high to be a coincidence, and I believe the military should take care of its veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs states that approximately 45% of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness. Much of this mental illness is a direct result from the military. Therefore, the military should have provided adequate counseling services, and perhaps military veterans would not have become a statistic.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does offer programs and incentives for our homeless veterans. However, are these programs adequate to actually make a difference for our homeless veterans?

One program the Department of Veterans Affairs offers is the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. This program is offered annually, but only as funding permits. The VA is only able to fund 65% of a project for the construction, acquisition or renovation of facilities and/or purchasing a van for services and outreach to our homeless veterans. That's only 65%! These homeless veterans served our country in war! The government should finance 100% of the projects.

The VA has actively taken part in every one of the Stand Downs for Homeless veterans run by local coalitions across the country. These Stand Downs (in peaceful times) offer homeless veterans one to three days of respite where they can obtain food, shelter, clothes and access to other services. While this service may be beneficial to some homeless veterans, more permanent solutions should be implemented, not just something that lasts for a few days.

By far the best program I think is in place for our homeless veterans is called the Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence (CWT/TR) Program. This allows homeless veterans (as well as disadvantaged and at-risk veterans) to live in a controlled environment and work for approximately thirty-three hours per week, and earn an average of $732 per month. This amount of pay is too low; how are the homeless veterans going to be able to save up for a security deposit on a place to live when the average stay at CWT/TR is only one hundred seventy-four days? This program is a wonderful idea to help our homeless veterans, but still in much need of improvement.

There are many other programs available to help our homeless veterans. Please, if you know a homeless veteran, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website to find a program to help.