Facts About Homeless Veterans Essay Example

on any given night. The Urban Institute, in conjunction with the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), projected in 1996 that each year, 2.3 million to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America. The survey found that 23 percent of all homeless persons ? and 33 percent of all homeless men ? are veterans. By taking 23 percent of the total range, that would indicate there are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during the year.

Doesn`t THE VA take care of homeless veterans? To a certain extent, yes. The VA's specialized homeless programs served more than 92,000 veterans in 2009, which is highly commendable. This still leaves well over 100,000 more veterans, however, who must seek assistance from local government agencies and community- and faith-based service organizations. Since 1987, VA's programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by more than half over the past six years.

What services do veterans need? Veterans need a coordinated effort that provides secure housing, nutritional meals, basic physical health care, substance abuse care and aftercare, mental health counseling, personal development and empowerment. Additionally, veterans need job assessment, training and placement assistance.