One in four of homeless is a veteran and that number is increasing...

[old mark]

This links to an article from 2007 in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-07-homeless-veterans_N.htm

This is a link to a VA group to "end homelessness among veterans" in 5 years:
http://www1.va.gov/homeless/

And this is a link to a private group to help homeless vets:
http://www.nchv.org/

And one more, from the National Coalition for the Homeless - it has a lot of statistics on homeless vets...did you know some WWII vets are living on the streets as well as vets from every war we have had since then, and the number is increasing every day:
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/veterans.pdf

I hope this is of interest to someone...all these groups need all the help they can get.

Thanks.

mark

[era veteran]

1. The chickenhawk draft dodgers have jobs with benefits and

pensions. Lots of veterans pensions consist of a military funeral. Good post O M

[Golden Raisin]

4. And they're the first to pompously

squawk about "supporting" and honoring our troops --- except apparently when those troops return from our non-ending overseas, imperial wars --- sick, shattered, broken and in dire need. They they are reviled, forgotten and expected to be invisible.

[w8liftinglady]

38. as long as their support doesn't involve more than a sign or hat

[Soylent Brice]

2. thank you for posting this.

this needs many many more eyes.

K&R

[old mark]

3. Thanks - please keep it kicked...maybe someone who can be of help

will see it.

Mark
Former Sp4 1/504 PIR

[Soylent Brice]

12. i share your feelings. n/t

[EFerrari]

5. We need to make it illegal to discharge combat veterans into homelessness.

They need to be placed in a decent home and hooked up with a job.

[AngryOldDem]

6. It's the very least we can do.

Barring that, at least a Veterans Administration that actually is of some use to them. A lot of vets I worked with would literally bounce from the homeless shelter to VA hospital and back...over and over again.

It is an absolute disgrace how we treat veterans, especially those who come back injured, with addictions, or mental illness.

[EFerrari]

11. Difficult for anyone and more so for people having trouble with functionality.

When my ex was homeless and getting zero appropriate treatment from the public system, I gave up after wrestling with it for five years. We went to the family and somehow got the money for a private doctor and I sat with him learning cognitive behavioral therapy exercises out of a book. It was unreal and the best we could do for him because he couldn't manage being the ping pong ball.

[bobbolink]

8. That's true, but there is NO reason for *anyone* to be homeless!

By picking out pet groups, we just strengthen the powers-that-be in continuing to allow homelessness.

It also just pits groups against each other, and that is exactly what *they* want.

It is no more right for *children* to be homeless.

Everyone. Deserves. A. Home.

FDR's Second Bill Of Rights.

[EFerrari]

13. Well, I was mostly thinking that placing people before they muster out

is just efficient prevention. Of course everyone deserves a home.

[bobbolink]

32. That would certainly make sense, and so would the same kind of forward-thinking for ALL.

The only way it will be solved is for there to be lots of low-income housing created, but there is just not the interest in that.

If "placing people before they muster out" was done simply by putting them at the top of existing lists for housing, that would be horribly unfair and simply not humane. I would certainly fight that.

There just MUST be a concerted effort by ALL to establish housing for all.

[JonLP24]

20. LOL

All I got was a bus ticket back to Arizona. I will say it was my own fault as I tested positive for cannabis and I was under a new company commander where I was the first to get in trouble so he wanted to make an example out of me when normally they don't chapter people out for first time substance abuse. Alcohol doesn't count because you can pretty much drink all you want and not get kicked out even if it leads to problems.

Anyways back to your point. I do qualify as a "combat veteran". All this stuff happened when I returned.

[mopinko]

7. change is what's happening in america.

Helping Homeless Veterans
Posted by Tammy Duckworth on June 25, 2009 at 03:45 PM EDT
As a Veteran, a former State Director of Veterans Affairs and now as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs I understand the urgent need to address homelessness. Last week’s meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness with Secretary Shinseki, and his counterparts at HUD, Labor and HHS, took an important step in coordinating our efforts to eliminate homelessness in our country. The VA estimates that one-third of homeless Americans served in the military, so this partnership is central to our efforts to help these brave soldiers.
One important outcome of the meeting was the announcement of an additional $75 million in housing vouchers. This new money will provide shelter for an additional 10,000 homeless Veterans and their families. These resources offer vital support to a community in need.
For state and local Veterans’ agencies, these funds come at a time when many local budgets are being squeezed by the current economic situation. While the VA works hard to offer support services and case management to eligible homeless veterans, local agencies play a crucial role in the care of these individuals.
Our nation's Veterans placed the good of the nation before their own and we are all dishonored when even a single Veteran sleeps on the street. I am proud of this administration’s commitment to fulfilling our nation’s promise to these brave soldiers. I look forward to working with my colleagues throughout government and the private sector to continue to fight this problem and make sure that no Veteran or American has to face the harsh reality of being homeless.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/06/25/helping-homeless-veterans


Veterans

"For their service and sacrifice, warm words of thanks from a grateful nation are more than warranted, but they aren't nearly enough. We also owe our veterans the care they were promised and the benefits that they have earned. We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end. But we know that for too long, we've fallen short of meeting that commitment. Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need. Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets."
-PRESIDENT OBAMA, MARCH 19, 2009

more

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/veterans

[bobbolink]

9. I am recommending, but I am very conflicted about it.

While, of course, it is important for vets to have homes, by splintering the efforts by groups, it sets homeless people against each other, and makes it possible to continue this horrible epidemic.

HOUSING. FOR. ALL. as Sapphire Blue used to emphasize!

[readmoreoften]

37. All the homeless deserve to occupy the housing left empty by the housing boom.

And for that matter, all renters should own the properties they pay rent in if the landlord owns more than one extra property. (Sometimes people have to pay two mortgages to move back and forth for work.) It's a good start.

[w8liftinglady]

39. that's a good idea...

[Dystopian]

10. Thank you for posting.

Recommended.


peace~

[Romulox]

14. The chickenhawks think that we'll leave all the destruction over in the middle east

So much of the damage will be returning home to us, where it will fester for the next 50 years or more.

[old mark]

15. One of the sites I linked states that there are still WWII vets who are homeless...

WWII ended in 1945...I am sure there will be great increases in homelessness in general, and I am not trying to split the homeless into groups - but I think those who have spent years of their lives in government service and have had that service contribute to whatever makes them homeless deserve SOME government intervention and help. I have known several veterans over the years who have terrible anguish in their lives since their military experience-many of them are dead and some are instituionalized as a result.

It is just sick to allow this, and it has happened after EVERY war we have ever fought.


mark

[era veteran]

16. I can see Viet Nam everyday in the faces of the homeless

that constantly flow like the tide over the parking lot behind the restaurant I manage. I feed some of them and try not to be mean when I run them off bumming money off the customers. The government will use you and throw you the fuck away. If I had not quit drinking I would be lucky to be one of them as I probably would be in the ground in the military cemetery at Camp Nelson. Peace to all R

[w8liftinglady]

36. Those pussies WOULD think that,as they don't dare go themselves.

[Dystopian]

17. ......

:kick: Back to the front page.
Please know that my family got help with a post very similar to yours...regarding veterans benefits.


peace~

[ThomWV]

18. The best way to have fewer homeless Veterans is to create fewer Veterans.

and the way to do that is to stop starting wars and get out of the ones we've already started.

[w8liftinglady]

33. I agree 1 million per cent!

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Anectotally of course

we have fed homeless... and more than a few are vets.

And I have been told... "By feeding them you are enabling this."

Reality is most people care not one whit about the homeless, and even less if they are vets.

Hell, one vet "hangs out" near the coffee shop I go to for coffee in the mornings. More than once we have taken turns getting him breakfast. He is a Vietnam Era Vet, who never quite got back.

[w8liftinglady]

34. "By feeding them you are enabling this."-I say bullshit

I think of a song I used to love
"what it's Like"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCZ1YteCv5M&feature=fvw

[old mark]

21. Thanks for the positive responses and especially to those who posted experiences

with the homeless.
I was living in a rented room above a tavern for a some time around the last census - I was counted as "homeless"...for the 2010 census I was listed as a homeowner. I have some idea how it feels to have no permanent living place.

I thank you all for your concern in this...
Please keep it kicked if you would.

mark

[w8liftinglady]

22. can I bore you with a few of my ltte that were printed over the past 6 years?

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2008/06/10/opinion/doc484ebaaa80d36885595424.txt


Letter: Support our troops
Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 12:52 PM CDT
To the Editor,

Recent reaction to my latest letter confirms what I have dreaded. Our nation has forgotten.

In 2000, we were at peace. We have been at war for over five years now and 4,094 troops have been killed with 29,978 troops wounded to the point that they can not return to duty. Our government has, up until the last year, shown a general disregard for our returning soldiers and Marines.

As of today, there are between 500,000 and 879,000 homeless veterans in the United States.

Time will tell how many of these are Iraq War Veterans.

Just this year, the V.A has recognized this problem (of 30+ years duration) and begun to provide more funding for our forgotten heroes.

You see, my son was one of those casualties. He enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and I supported him. I have seen firsthand the disregard our nation has for its returning wounded. My son was wounded during his second deployment. Due to the high influx of casualties, his surgeries were delayed. Left to languish in Langstuhl, Germany, he drank himself into oblivion. His PTSD was evident to everyone but the Army. He was deployed again a year later. Returning, there was no reintegration program for these young men. We wonder why so many are now suffering in silence with their demons.

I see many “Support the Troops” ribbons. How many “Support our Veterans” ribbons do you see?

Am I bitter? Yes. My resolution? To reveal the truth that the mainstream media refuses to report. Do you disagree?

Exercise your First Amendment rights. Bless you, and let’s support our troops ... current and former.

[w8liftinglady]

23. and..

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2009/06/15/opinion/doc4a368952bba9f428623959.txt

Letter: ‘Help for veterans’
Published: Monday, June 15, 2009 12:59 PM CDT
To the Editor,

As the Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan press on, there is a segment of the military community that has received little attention — homeless veteran families. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the number of homeless veteran families with minor children has increased 24 percent from 2007 to 2008. This number does not account for those living on couches, in garages or in cars. As Ellis County has no public transportation to the Veterans Administration, it is difficult for these individuals to receive help. The following are a list of numbers and Web sites (most public libraries have Internet access) for veterans and their families who may be feeling the pressure of a strained economy:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Benefits: 1-800-827-1000

Medical Centers: 1-800-827-1000

Persian Gulf War Helpline: 1-800-749-8387

Focus on Recovery Helpline

A 24-hour national alcohol and drug abuse addition and treatment hotline: [phone] or 1-800-234-1253

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

1-800-838-4357 (1-800-VET-HELP)

National Crisis Hotline

1-800-784-2433

Every VA Medical Center has a Homeless Veteran Services Coordinator who is responsible for helping homeless or at-risk veterans.1-877-222-8387

The U.S. Department of Labor has a site devoted to helping Veterans with job searches: www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/contacts/main.htm

The American Legion provides Temporary Financial Assistance from its national headquarters to help maintain a stable environment for children of veterans.

www.legion.org/veterans

There is also an Ennis Post – 972-875-6436 .

If you or your family member needs transportation to the VA in Dallas, contact one of the following organizations. There are many volunteers who want to help.

Disabled American Veterans, Grand Prairie Office 972-262-8600

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Ennis 972-875-8576

Waxahachie 972-937-7007

The important thing to know is that you are not alone. If you need help yourself or you know of a veteran’s family in need, please direct them to these resources.

[w8liftinglady]

24. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/07/05/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter3.txt

On war in Iraq’
Published: Thursday, July 5, 2007 11:39 AM CDT
To the Editor,

We have lost 100 soldiers this month so far. This makes the third month in a row that the death toll has exceeded 100. In June, there were 299 soldiers wounded, unable to return to duty. In the meantime, we are oblivious to the suffering that our brave troops have to endure silently. There are many instances of soldiers and Marines being discouraged from seeking treatment for the horror they have witnessed. My good friend, Dale Peters, was instrumental in creating mental health resources for military with PTSD. Dale also founded the first shelter for homeless veterans in his state in Illinois. Dale died a few weeks ago. He was a veteran, a hero, a Republican and I loved him as my friend. In Dale’s memory, I invite you to consider a small donation to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. You can learn more about them at www.nchv.org. Until we acknowledge the trauma and suffering our troops are enduring through multiple deployments, poor equipment and poor planning, the number of homeless veterans will continue to grow. Help these heroes who need us. They were there for us.

Beth Dawson,

[w8liftinglady]

25. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/08/10/midlothianmirror/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/let03%20080807%20dawson.txt?sessinfo=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

Caring for our troops
Published: Thursday, August 9, 2007 6:55 PM CDT
Dear Editor,

Maybe you missed it between Lindsay Lohan and Michael Vick, but Bob Dole and Donna Shalala have delivered their report on the conditions in the VA and for returning active duty injured.The report indicated many areas where treatment was substandard, and gave many recommendations. Among these are:


Boost staff and money for Walter Reed until it closes in the coming years. Also urges Pentagon to work with the VA to create “integrated care teams” of doctors and nurses to see injured troops through their recovery.

Restructure the disability pay systems to give the VA more responsibility for awarding benefits.


Require comprehensive training programs in post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries for military leaders, VA and Pentagon personnel.


Create a “My eBenefits” Web site, developed jointly by the VA and Pentagon, that would allow service members and doctors to access private medical information as the injured move from facility to facility to receive treatment.


Provide better family support, because one-third of injured Iraq war veterans reported that a family member or close friend had to relocate to care for them. It calls for training and counseling for families of service members who require long-term care and improved family leave and insurance benefits for family members.

We must petition our elected officials to act, not just talk, and make these changes happen. It would be an extreme disservice to our wounded veterans if, like the Webb-Hagel Amendment, this becomes a victim of partisan bickering. Support our troops. Call Senators Hutchison and Cornyn and Congressman Barton and ask them to support these recommendations and our troops.

Their track record hasn’t been real great so far.

[w8liftinglady]

26. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/08/31/midlothianmirror/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/let03-082907-dawson.txt

War in Iraq marks another dark day
Published: Friday, August 31, 2007 12:36 PM CDT
Dear Editor,

Today is yet another landmark in Iraq — soldier 3,503 has been killed, 26 soldiers and Marines since June 1. Instead of my usual rants, I’ll just lay the facts out for you. Draw your own conclusions.

1. 3,503 dead, 111 of those suicides.

2. 25,868 injured and unable to return to duty.

3. As the troops’ deployments are being extended, at least three in 10 of their stateside family members report a “severe” difficulty in paying bills.

4. Divorce rates have gone from 32 percent to 56 percent for military families.

5.The increase of traumatic brain injuries has gone up exponentially due to IEDs.These are difficult to diagnose and a contributor to PTSD.

6. Approximately 91,000 soldiers are returning home with PTSD and very little resources waiting for them.

7. 400,000 veterans become homeless any given year — a number that is sure to increase as our troops return.

8. Under DoD Directive 1325.6, an active duty military troop is forbidden from public dissent.

Research all your facts before you claim to support the troops. A yellow ribbon and a “thanks-a-million” card won’t cut it … not while war profiteers are becoming increasingly wealthy off our troops’ blood. There used to be a law against war profiteering — now it seems to be part of the career ladder to the White House. What has happened to my country?

Beth Dawson,

[w8liftinglady]

27. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/11/26/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter1.txt

Thankful for veterans’
Published: Monday, November 26, 2007 11:44 AM CST
To the Editor,

On this Thanksgiving holiday,we often reflect on what we are grateful for. I am grateful for my beautiful children, my job,and to have a roof over my head. As I reflect, I am bothered by a large segment of the population who do not have this.

The most recent figures from the Veterans’ Administration reveal 25 percent of homeless in America are veterans. This alone is a tragedy, but consider an even larger problem. According to recent studies, 125 veterans commit suicide on any given week. This number is twice the national average as a whole. When you narrow it to Iraq War veterans, it becomes three times the national average.

There is an ENORMOUS need for Veterans’ Assistance Centers throughout Texas. Right now, the only centers are in Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston and El Paso. This leaves a huge portion of the veteran population underserved. As a member of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, I have been lobbying to have a Veterans’ Service Center in all cities with a recruitment office. These centers would have a Veteran counselor to deal with the psychological and transitional issues that our military face when they assume a veteran role. The centers would also have a nurse practitioner or physician assistant with prescriptive authority to hopefully reduce some of the congestion at the medical centers and encourage medication compliance. One month of the War in Iraq would fund these centers nationwide for a year. Are our veterans worth any less?

Hug your family and be grateful for your blessings. Tomorrow, write your representatives and demand they care for all our veterans.

Beth Dawson,

[w8liftinglady]

28. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/12/17/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter2.txt

On Iraq’
Published: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:38 AM CST
To the Editor,

In December 2005, I wrote a holiday letter endorsing the end of the insanity in Iraq and the support of our wounded veterans at home and hoped it would be my last on the subject. In December 2006, I wrote a letter endorsing the end of the insanity in Iraq and the support of our wounded veterans at home and hoped it would be my last on the subject. Here we are at Christmastime in 2007 and the insanity in Iraq continues and our wounded veterans flounder in our own country. Most people in America have shrugged their shoulders and allowed themselves to be ruled like so many sheep.

The Iraq War has cost Americans $477,227,171,324. In Ellis County alone, we have paid $276 million in extra taxes to support the Iraq War. Here is what we COULD have done with the money:

hired 6,618 public safety officers


provided 60,000 people with health care


provided 39,500 scholarships for college students


hired 4,900 music and art teachers


fit 210,000 homes with renewable energy sources

And our veterans —

Since the beginning of the Iraq War, approximately 38,000 service members have been transported to medical facilities for treatment of their injuries. Yet, many, many more have invisible injuries due to traumatic brain injury and PTSD. I am a member of Veterans for America. We have held hearings that indicate that our “thankful nation” has refused payment to 22,500 service members who gave all in multiple deployments to Iraq, only to have their PTSD diagnosed as “pre-existing personality disorders.”

Our “thankful nation” has no problem deploying National Guard and reservists on multiple tours to a war zone, but makes no provisions for their sacrifice as their families become bankrupt at home.

Our “thankful nation” has allowed 400,000 veterans to become homeless, through OUR neglect to provide care for them when they came home.

Our “thankful nation” has ignored the deaths of 3,892 service members, choosing to focus on Hannah Montana tickets and Brittney’s flings.

Presidential, congressional and Senate primaries will arrive before we know it. Are you going to vote for the same breed of people who have created this disgrace? We, as Americans, need to examine our consciences this holiday season and let our well-informed consciences dictate our votes.

Beth Dawson,

[w8liftinglady]

29. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/02/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/00-letter-dawson.txt

On our troops’
Published: Friday, March 2, 2007 10:28 AM CST
To the Editor,

There have been several expose’s regarding the treatment our wounded warriors receive when the return to the States. The most profound was the Washington Post piece exposing the terrible conditions and treatment of the wounded in Barracks 18 of Walter Reed Hospital.

The immediate reaction was to slap a coat of paint on the moldy walls.

Newsweek disclosed that 200,000 veterans are homeless in the U.S.-including up to 1,000 Iraq War veterans.

It has been reported that the Army is holding down disability ratings to save money.

The military is charging vets for gear that is lost or damaged on the battlefield.

GIs are being charged for meals and back combat pay when they are wounded, and reported to credit bureaus when they are unable to pay.

You can imagine my dismay when I read this Army Times story:

Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet

The DOD’s solution to these ugly stories is to remove access to the media, force the soldiers into 7 a.m. formations and room inspections daily, and move them to an internal location where the press does not have access to them. These are the same rights that these brave soldiers and Marines are fighting for ... my son has fought for, been wounded for, and is still healing from inside.

So, you say you support the troops. I encourage you to forego the yellow ribbon from China and call your Senators and Congressmen to request an investigation into the way we treat our soldiers when they come home. Shame on us, as Americans, for allowing this treatment to go on for so long.

Beth Dawson,

[w8liftinglady]

30. and

http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/01/31/dailylight/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter4.txt

On surge in Iraq’
Published: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 11:31 AM CST
To the Editor,

As our military, under the leadership of President Bush, prepares to send another 20,000 of our servicemen to Iraq, I wanted to educate the supporters of this fiasco of a few things.

1. The government has been actively calling up soldiers and Marines from the Individual Ready Reserve. The Individual Ready Reserve reflects the time that the soldier remains available to call up after their active duty deployment. Depending on their MOT, some of these soldiers can be called up 10-20 years after their active duty days are done. There are multiple cases of these soldiers being retrained out of their area, redeployed for a year, and killed and wounded. These soldiers are not being deployed so other soldiers can rotate out, but rather to supplement the troops already there.

2. The 20,000 soldiers being sent are nowhere near adequate. Visualize a quarter of Cowboy Stadium trying to tamp down Dallas and Fort Worth. It is yet another recipe for failure from a failed leader.

3. The word “veteran” was not mentioned in the President’s State of the Union speech.

At the same time, our wounded and sick veterans are having to fight for their health benefits now, with backlogs and denial of benefits. Twenty-five percent of all homeless are veterans while 70 percent of Iraq War veterans become divorced. The problems will only escalate as the president’s war continues to suck our treasury dry.

The Bush Administration prides itself on supporting our troops. How do these practices support our troops? How do they support those men and women who have given their all for our country, including my father, son, and uncles? Do YOU support these practices? Are you willing to sacrifice your loved one for this fiasco?

Beth Dawson,

[era veteran]

41. Re DOD Directive1325.6/ Isn't that for officers only?

Enlisted Men in my years could be political as hell, just as long as they were not in uniform. Of course this right could have evaporated as many others have in the last 3 decades. Good informative post, Thanks R

[kgnu_fan]

31. Stop sacrificing these young men and women, bring them home now!

And take care of them .... gosh, we pretend nothing is happening, we ignore them, while we are the one who send them to those horrible wars with our vote. Stop the killing...!!!

[Ignis]

35. K&R

:patriot:

[LeftyFingerPop]

40. K&R. n/t

[old mark]

42. Thank you, everyone - one more trip to the top for the early morning folks...

Please don't forget our veterans - many are still caught up in a war long over officially...for some, the wars will never end.


mark