Homeless Veterans

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Pages: 8

Homeless Veterans, America's Homeland War Douglas Dalton History 1302 For the past 14 years, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent military drawdown has conveyed new attention to the needs of veterans. This renewed attention has highlighted a principal issue with many of our veterans; homelessness. Homelessness among America's Veterans has become a very real problem that is growing out of control. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) projected that on any specific night there were about 107,000 homeless veterans sleeping on American streets. Even though spending for programs targeted at preventing homelessness has seen a significant increase in recent years, there appears a breakdown in truly understanding the multi-faceted …show more content…
Recent research conducted by the University of Southern California, shows promising results in the ability to predict when veterans are suicidal. This research is the first step in possibly preventing suicides. Merely 1 percent of the populace has served in the military and with this recent generation of veterans, they are coming home to societies that are oblivious to military principles. This spearheads feelings of isolation, along with instances of broken relationships and poor health, perpetuating the solider to possibly find themselves as a burden to their community. On the opposite end of that pendulum, are elderly veterans whose support systems diminish as their age increases, leading to further deterioration of health. A recent study, published in Current Psychiatry Reports, set up that veterans are the likelihood of veterans committing suicide is greater when they feel burdensome to their community, family and friends, and socially isolated due to a lack of meaningful connections. These groups were more disposed to hopelessness during periods of transition, which made them extremely …show more content…
In June 2010, the VA announced its plan to end homelessness among veterans and unveiled a strategy plan, known as USICH (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness). USICH outlined its scope of the homelessness problem and presented an overview of strategies and practices that would help homeless veterans by specifically targeting their needs, to give effective results. The VA identified seven areas that reinforce positive and effective results. (1) education and outreach, (2) treatment programs, (3) deterrence, (4) housing, (5) supportive services, (6) employment and benefits, and (6) community partnerships. The VA has increased its responsibilities for homeless veteran's programs since 2009, allocated funding has increased from about $376 million to $1.4 billion. Along with these obligations, healthcare programs for homeless veterans have increased from $2 billion to about $4.5 billion. The bearing that these programs have provided, has had some positive impact on the state of affairs, however, the system will always be a concern. References Supplemental. Workgroup Was Presented with an Overview of the