Barack Obama Unveils Veteran Housing Plan

In the wake of Hillary Clinton's launch of an online petition supporting the Iraq War Funding Bill earlier this week, "Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Friday said he would unveil a housing program for veterans aimed at keeping them off the streets when their service is completed." (Yahoo! News article) He announced the plan today in Marshalltown, Iowa amid an already contentious race with Hillary Clinton, and many other hopefuls, for the Democratic presidential nomination for the 2008 election.

When discussing his plan and the inspiration behind it, "the Illinois senator told The Associated Press he would introduce legislation Monday that he calls Homes for Heroes. The plan would establish grant and voucher programs to encourage development of affordable housing targeted for veterans. 'Veterans are far more likely to be homeless than non-veterans and part of it is because we're not providing services to them as they transition out of the service,' Obama said in an interview before a campaign rally. 'Part of it is because there is just not enough affordable housing.'" (Yahoo! News Article) Thus far in the unprecedented early presidential race, there have been few concrete plans of action, much less hardened campaign issues on either side. With Hillary Clinton supporting the Iraq War Spending Bill earlier this week and Barack Obama announcing his plan to help veterans find affordable housing, the Democrats are defining the issues very early in the race.

By adopting this particular issue, Barack Obama is addressing a serious issue facing thousands of veterans and helping to alleviate the homeless situation in the United States. "The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates as many as 200,000 are living on the streets or in shelters and perhaps twice as many are homeless at some in the course of a year. Obama, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, concluded a three-day trip to Iowa by touring the Iowa Veterans Home and focusing on veterans' issues." (Yahoo! News article)

Throughout the campaign thus far, Barack Obama has carefully selected his issues, especially with regards to the military. "He has walked a fine line on the issue, mixing his opposition to the war in Iraq with support for the troops. 'During the course of this war, one of the things I think we did learn from Vietnam was that whether you are for or against a war, everyone has to honor and respect the service and sacrifice of the troops,' Obama said. Obama said the government spends billions to prosecute the war but has consistently shortchanged programs for veterans, who should be a top priority. 'We haven't always done that in our federal budget,' said Obama. 'During the course of this war the VA has consistently low-balled their requests for funding.' In addition to problems like substance abuse, Obama said the lack of affordable housing has been a consistent problem for veterans. He said his legislation would address that shortfall." (Yahoo! News article) While Barack Obama might not be successful in obtaining the Democratic nomination for the 2008 Presidential Election, it is the hope of many that this particular issue will be addressed for the good of the nation.