2015 should have been the year remembered for the elimination of homelessness amongst American veterans. Unfortunately, as Christmas came and went, approximately 50,000 veterans were homeless. A shocking statistic. For a country that spends such vast resources on its military, the disregard for its servicemen and women after they return home is nothing short of a disgrace and an international embarrassment.

This is of course a complete political failure from both sides of America’s political divide since the Vietnam War. Administration after administration had failed to adequately provide the medical and material support for its veterans.

No doubt most of America’s current crop of politicians stand tall on Veteran’s Day, when in reality many of them connive to water-down, obstruct or oppose legislation relating to Veteran’s benefits for party political gain.

The most blatant example was the political deadlock that lead to the government shut down of 2013, which caused work to stop on the processing of hundreds of thousands of veteran disability claims and threaten disability compensation checks. Similarly, shameless politicians allowed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to deliberately expire depriving the first responders to 9/11 healthcare entitlements. (Recently renewed in December 2015).

Such politicking in Washington is a betrayal of America’s veterans and a betrayal of the ideals of Abraham Lincoln, ideals many an American politician claims to espouse.

“To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” -Abraham Lincoln

On the issue of homelessness amongst veterans there should be no partisan politics. But this is 2016… This is election season. This should be an election issue. Veterans must make this an election issue. As IAVA President Paul Rieckhoff states:

“Widow’s benefits, GI Bill checks and VA disability payments should not be held hostage by political games. If leaders in Washington shut down the government to prove a partisan political point, know that over 20 million veterans will be adversely affected. And that we won’t forget when we vote in November.”

Of course there those who do work tirelessly on veterans affairs, most notably Senators John McCain and Bernie Sanders. They have recently ensured that veteran’s benefits are immune for 12 months in the event of another government shutdown. However, they are heavily outnumbered by political hawks on Capitol Hill who are hawkish when sending young servicemen and women into combat but are like pigeons at home in their duty to provide adequate support and assistance to veterans.

This has to change.

Reaching ‘Functional Zero’ Homelessness

It is hard to believe that the homeless crisis amongst veterans was far worse.

“More than 135,000 adults who served in the armed forces were homeless or in a shelter at some point between October 2007 and September 2008.” (2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress)

In fairness to the Obama Administration, it did give the plight of America’s homeless veterans national prominence in a bold and optimistic target back in 2009 to eliminate homelessness amongst veterans by 2015. Like him or loath him, during his presidency, Obama has tripled funding for homeless veteran’s programs. Nevertheless, he has reduced homelessness by only a third to 50,000. Failing to reach his own ambitious target.

In June 2014 the ‘Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness’ was launched. 355 mayors, 7 governors, and 112 county and city officials vowed to end veteran homelessness in their communities by the end of 2015. There have been notable successes.

At a county level, Lancaster County in Pennsylvania announced that as of July 2015 they had no homeless veterans. At a city level, New Orleans eliminated homelessness in January 2014. Virginia became the first state to declare an end to veteran homelessness.

What Lancaster County, New Orleans and Virginia have achieved is ‘Functional Zero’. Which is defined as having a process and the resources in place where a veteran can be housed immediately.

Steadily, more and more counties, cities and states are solving their veteran housing crisis but it is gradual. The work of the VA, veterans and charitable organisations could come unstuck if there is continued paralysis in Washington. In an election cycle, that is dangerously ominous.

According to the 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress 1.4 million veterans are at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing. This is an astronomical figure, which means that despite the best efforts of the VA and other organisations homelessness is always going to raise its head in the veteran community.

The Complex Issue Homelessness

DEMOGRAPHICS

11% of the homeless adult population are veterans

68% reside in principal cities

51% of individual homeless veterans have disabilities

50% have serious mental illness

70% have substance abuse problems

57% are white males, compared to 38% of non-veterans

50% are age 51 or older, compared to 19% non-veterans

8.8% served in post 9/11 Iraq or Afghanistan

8% are WOMEN

(Stats: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans)

These stats show just how difficult the issue of homelessness amongst veterans is to resolve. Mental health, disabilities and substance abuse are prevalent whilst the latest phenomenon of female veterans living on the streets is truly galling. It is estimated that over 400,000 veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which is undoubtedly going to test the resilience and resources of the VA now and in the future.

But as long as there is a political will, there is a way to adequately provide the services veterans deserve.

It was Hubert H. Humphrey who once said:

“It was once said that the moral test of Government is how that Government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”

America’s politicians should, in this decisive election year, have their own ‘moral’ test. Those who have slyly obstructed, filibustered and voted against programs which will alleviate health and homelessness issues regarding veterans should politely be shown the election trapdoor.

The most vulnerable veterans have been shamelessly neglected enough. They can be no more…

Author:

Patrick Jay

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