16% of homeless adults in a one-night survey in January 2009 were veterans

[naisho]

Apparently I missed this critical piece of news. How is this happening and why are these vets on the streets?

Veterans more likely to be homeless, study says - USATODAY.com

About 16% of homeless adults in a one-night survey in January 2009 were veterans, though vets make up only 10% of the adult population.

More than 75,000 veterans were living on the streets or in a temporary shelter that night. In that year, 136,334 veterans spent at least one night in a homeless shelter — a count that did not include homeless veterans living on the streets.

The urgency of the problem is growing as more people return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study found 11,300 younger veterans, 18 to 30, were in shelters at some point during 2009. Virtually all served in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Mark Johnston, deputy assistant secretary for special needs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Of the 75,609 homeless veterans found on a single night in January 2009, 43% were living on the streets without shelter, and 57% were staying in an emergency shelter or transitional housing.
Nearly half were in California, Texas, New York or Florida.

 

[DeafBadger]

Unfortunately this is a familiar problem after every war. It is tough for many veterans to reintegrate into society. They may suffer from drug abuse, alcoholism, PTSD, acting out violently, committing suicide, etc. War messes a lot of people up. Many become homeless.

The same things happened to many Vietnam War veterans when they came back. It took many of them quite a while to get back on their feet. Some of them manage to get back to living life... and it can be a long, hard road.

My grandmother's brother served in General Patton's army at the Battle of the Bulge (19,000 American soldiers killed) in WWII. He was never the same again when he came back. He suffered divorce, alienation from his children, and he died alone and depressed in the 1980s. He was a happy-go-lucky kid when he went to war and he returned broken.

That's what war does. Unfortunately... nothing has changed.

And this is only about the veterans. We're not talking about the civilians that live in a war zone.

 

[jillio]

Apparently I missed this critical piece of news. How is this happening and why are these vets on the streets?

Veterans more likely to be homeless, study says - USATODAY.com

About 16% of homeless adults in a one-night survey in January 2009 were veterans, though vets make up only 10% of the adult population.

More than 75,000 veterans were living on the streets or in a temporary shelter that night. In that year, 136,334 veterans spent at least one night in a homeless shelter — a count that did not include homeless veterans living on the streets.

The urgency of the problem is growing as more people return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study found 11,300 younger veterans, 18 to 30, were in shelters at some point during 2009. Virtually all served in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Mark Johnston, deputy assistant secretary for special needs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

It is an unnacceptable problem, IMO.

 

[Beowulf]

Actually I think the percentage is higher than that, and will become higher, because of those who grow accustomed to a certain environment, the stress of dealing with new people and new surroundings is too overwhelming, and they cannot deal with it. I recently have read of a study in which subjects who were severely mentally disabled and were employed in workshops were introduced to employment outside their normal environment. The surprising (or perhaps not so surprising) result was that their mental illness became worse, not better. The same thing happens with our vets. It is a darn shame our government does not take steps to make re-entry into civilian life less overwhelming.

 

[jillio]

Actually I think the percentage is higher than that, and will become higher, because of those who grow accustomed to a certain environment, the stress of dealing with new people and new surroundings is too overwhelming, and they cannot deal with it. I recently have read of a study in which subjects who were severely mentally disabled and were employed in workshops were introduced to employment outside their normal environment. The surprising (or perhaps not so surprising) result was that their mental illness became worse, not better. The same thing happens with our vets. It is a darn shame our government does not take steps to make re-entry into civilian life so overwhelming.

One of the biggest problems facing our vets, besides homelessness, is the lack of quality mental health care being made available to them. I have seen first hand how the VA hospitals (most, anyway) handle these issues. Overmedicate, send them med refills once a month, and get them out of their hair. Only those that have been deemed to be a danger to themselves or others are even hospitalized, and then they are stabilized on a new med regimen and the revolving door starts all over again..

The same thing happens with our severely mentally ill that you referred to earlier. Quality and ongoing psychiatric/mental health care is simply not available to them.

 

[AlleyCat]

Those stats are sad. And disturbing. I was going to ask my honey (who is a vet) what would comprise that 16%, but then I didn't. Because I remember the times he's shared with me of stories his fellow soldiers shared during (or rather, after) tough combat times of their home life.

 

[naisho]

Hmm.. interesting, never considered some of your replies. Makes one re-think about the cost-benefit analysis of choosing to going to war in the first place.

Sure we won but did we really win? :|

 

[jillio]

Those stats are sad. And disturbing. I was going to ask my honey (who is a vet) what would comprise that 16%, but then I didn't. Because I remember the times he's shared with me of stories his fellow soldiers shared during (or rather, after) tough combat times of their home life.

Thank you for being sensitive to something that could be a trigger for him.

 

[jillio]

Hmm.. interesting, never considered some of your replies. Makes one re-think about the cost-benefit analysis of choosing to going to war in the first place.

Sure we won but did we really win? :|

**nodding sadly at the sentiment expressed**

 

[whatdidyousay!]

They might be so shell shocked and not be able to adjust to living normally . We have 2 homeless men living in a park in my city and a other homeless man is there now. He looks to be in his 30's and when I first saw him his clothes where clean, I saw the guy today and his cloths are now dirty and worn out looking. I find it very upset that we have even one homeless person to have thousands it so wrong! It is horrible the government is not doing more for our vets when they come home. My city spend $500,000 to do over a small park that about size of a small tennis court and we have men living in the park and sleeping under the bridges in my city. Disgusting!!

 

[Buffalo]

Hmm.. interesting, never considered some of your replies. Makes one re-think about the cost-benefit analysis of choosing to going to war in the first place.

Sure we won but did we really win? :|

**nodding sadly at the sentiment expressed**

That explains the quote "Blessed be the peacemakers".

 

[deafskeptic]

Hmm.. interesting, never considered some of your replies. Makes one re-think about the cost-benefit analysis of choosing to going to war in the first place.

Sure we won but did we really win? :|

At best that'd be a pyrrhic victory.

 

[deafskeptic]

They might be so shell shocked and not be able to adjust to living normally . We have 2 homeless men living in a park in my city and a other homeless man is there now. He looks to be in his 30's and when I first saw him his clothes where clean, I saw the guy today and his cloths are now dirty and worn out looking. I find it very upset that we have even one homeless person to have thousands it so wrong! It is horrible the government is not doing more for our vets when they come home. My city spend $500,000 to do over a small park that about size of a small tennis court and we have men living in the park and sleeping under the bridges in my city. Disgusting!!

I know.

 

[DeafBadger]

My father, a Navy veteran from the Vietnam war, was telling me just last week that he is amazed at how Veteran's Day is honored these days. He said that back "in the day," restaurants never offered free meals to vets like they do now. There wasn't all the praise and rhetoric that there is now.

He said that back in the early 1970s, in the Dakotas, people didn't really care if you were a vet and had just come back. People were generally neutral. In the major cities, however, some vets were physically attacked for having participated in the Vietnam War. Spat upon, too.

Today, vets are praised with words at nearly every turn. The actual assistance they need is lacking though.

My father really has a hard time comprehending this massive shift in public opinion. I don't think he opposes it, of course... it is just mind boggling for him.

 

[Beowulf]

My father, a Navy veteran from the Vietnam war, was telling me just last week that he is amazed at how Veteran's Day is honored these days. He said that back "in the day," restaurants never offered free meals to vets like they do now. There wasn't all the praise and rhetoric that there is now.

He said that back in the early 1970s, in the Dakotas, people didn't really care if you were a vet and had just come back. People were generally neutral. In the major cities, however, some vets were physically attacked for having participated in the Vietnam War. Spat upon, too.

Today, vets are praised with words at nearly every turn. The actual assistance they need is lacking though.

My father really has a hard time comprehending this massive shift in public opinion. I don't think he opposes it, of course... it is just mind boggling for him.

Correct. It is quite shallow, really, when you think about it.

 

[rockin'robin]

I weep when thinking about our homeless Veterans....Brings back the story I have while in N.C. I gave him a room in my home in exchange for work around the property, He did a fairly good job, even tho' he had brain damage and a "bum" leg (from the Viet Nam War). His daughter and son came to see him ever so often....
But after a few months, he changed, and his anger was towards the government, and still thinking he was in the War....he wrote countless letters to the President...demanding why he was labeled a "baby killer"....also demanding compensation for what he had been through...so many "rambling" letters he left out for anyone to see....

Evidentually, I got in touch with his daughter and she came and got him, I could no longer deal with the situation. Still wishing him well wherever he may be.

 

[jillio]

My father, a Navy veteran from the Vietnam war, was telling me just last week that he is amazed at how Veteran's Day is honored these days. He said that back "in the day," restaurants never offered free meals to vets like they do now. There wasn't all the praise and rhetoric that there is now.

He said that back in the early 1970s, in the Dakotas, people didn't really care if you were a vet and had just come back. People were generally neutral. In the major cities, however, some vets were physically attacked for having participated in the Vietnam War. Spat upon, too.

Today, vets are praised with words at nearly every turn. The actual assistance they need is lacking though.

My father really has a hard time comprehending this massive shift in public opinion. I don't think he opposes it, of course... it is just mind boggling for him.

That praise means jack shit. All it is is lip service to make the speaker feel good about themselves. If this country cared about their vets, we would not have the homeless, mentally ill veterans wandering the streets and living in substandard group homes in the disgraceful numbers that we do.

I for one, am pretty tired of all the lip service given to disenfranchised and marginalized populations. I want to see people getting up off their butts and putting their words into action and do something about the way this country treats it's neediest citizens.. It is way too easy to sit in your comfortable armchair and talk about it.

 

[jillio]

I weep when thinking about our homeless Veterans....Brings back the story I have while in N.C. I gave him a room in my home in exchange for work around the property, He did a fairly good job, even tho' he had brain damage and a "bum" leg (from the Viet Nam War). His daughter and son came to see him ever so often....
But after a few months, he changed, and his anger was towards the government, and still thinking he was in the War....he wrote countless letters to the President...demanding why he was labeled a "baby killer"....also demanding compensation for what he had been through...so many "rambling" letters he left out for anyone to see....

Evidentually, I got in touch with his daughter and she came and got him, I could no longer deal with the situation. Still wishing him well wherever he may be.

Then you are one of those that did more than give lip service, and you are to be commended.

 

[DeafCaroline]

One of the biggest problems facing our vets, besides homelessness, is the lack of quality mental health care being made available to them. I have seen first hand how the VA hospitals (most, anyway) handle these issues. Overmedicate, send them med refills once a month, and get them out of their hair. Only those that have been deemed to be a danger to themselves or others are even hospitalized, and then they are stabilized on a new med regimen and the revolving door starts all over again..

The same thing happens with our severely mentally ill that you referred to earlier. Quality and ongoing psychiatric/mental health care is simply not available to them.

You would have been interested in seeing "Our America"'s segment on war veterans and PTSD. I was truly shocked to find out that more vets who returned home took their own lives than all the vets who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. This clearly demonstrates that there's a profound need to set up a proper support network for returning vets and their families.

 

[jillio]

You would have been interested in seeing "Our America"'s segment on war veterans and PTSD. I was truly shocked to find out that more vets who returned home took their own lives than all the vets who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. This clearly demonstrates that there's a profound need to set up a proper support network for returning vets and their families.

I have done quite a bit of research into the topic. One of my doc program professors is currently doing research at one of the Vet Hospitals about an hour away from me regarding the lack of successful treatments and overmedication of the vets that create the revolving door syndrome and results in so many suicides. It will be a long project, as his ultimate goal is to make strides in changing the system and the way PTSD is being treated. We stay in touch via email regarding the research and the progress he is making.