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December 27, 2021According to national data, about 553,742 people in the US are homeless on any given night. And about 38,000 of these are veterans. This means that veterans make up about 8 percent of the total homeless population.
This is a sad state of affairs, given that these people have spent a significant part of their life serving the country, and now they’re experiencing homelessness on the streets of the same country.
The homeless veterans include men, women, and people from all races and backgrounds who’ve given their best year to this country. So why are they on the streets in their most vulnerable years?
What Has Caused Veteran Homelessness at This Level?
The short answer is that there is no short answer to this question. There are a lot of possible explanations, and none of these are simple.
Most people believe that veteran homelessness’s root cause is PTSD and injuries gained during combat. But while the memories of war can be haunting for years, there are no studies that directly point toward PTSD as a reason for the homelessness situation.
However, there is research that highlights the fact that veteran homelessness shares the same risk factors as those linked to low income, substance abuse, and mental disorders.
But there are three primary reasons that researchers have narrowed down their analysis to. These are low military pay grades, problematic discharges from the military, and social isolation post-military discharge. The military discharge also makes it harder for them to obtain federal benefits hence the homelessness.
Has Anybody Tried To Address The Situation?
Technically, yes. The government has in the past tried to tackle the growing veteran homelessness during President Obama’s terms. And the government has been fairly successful with its attempts. They managed to cut down the homelessness statistics to nearly half of what it was in 2010.
Through programs like “Housing First” and other government initiatives, the problem has been addressed to a certain degree, but it’s not fully resolved, and constant effort is required to address it completely or at least sustainably.
Who’s Addressing the Gap?
There’s obviously a growing gap between government initiatives and the rising number of homeless veterans. But luckily, we have veteran services doing their part as charitable organizations.
Many of them use our veteran services case management software to manage the massive caseloads. As a dynamic social services software, it helps them cater to a large number of veterans and their problems on a daily basis.
Contact us to learn more about the software.