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Do we take care of our own?
One of the Vietnam War’s legacies was a generation of homeless veterans – traumatized by war and uncared for by the system that happily used them for its own ends before leaving them to the streets. Now, despite constant crowing about reforms at the Veterans Administration and treatment for mental illness in the military, it seems America will have another generation of homeless veterans thanks to our adventures and misadventures overseas:
The number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are homeless or at risk of losing a roof over their heads has more than doubled in the past two years, according to government data.
Through the end of September, 26,531 of them were living on the streets, at risk of losing their homes, staying in temporary housing or receiving federal vouchers to pay rent, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports.
That’s up from 10,500 in 2010. The VA says the numbers could be higher because they include only the homeless the department is aware of.
A problem that could only get worse when/if the forces leave Afghanistan and service members are finally allowed to leave.
The department says effects of the two wars on them, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and a slow economic recovery have contributed to their homelessness.
The issue is particularly acute as the military continues to draw down its ranks. About 307,000 are likely to leave the military each of the next four years.
Do we take care of our own?
Photo by Alaina Abplanalp Photography under Creative Commons license
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Now that it’s really time for us to support the troops, where oh where are the right wingers? Fox, where is thy sting?
The comment:
seemed incongruent with the point you were making. But the article also notes:
I’m not sure what is meant by “temporary housing,” but homeless and fear of losing a home are bad. 14,000 is a lot and 3,000 is a lot. I am wondering though how many want to be homeless. My uncle was homeless in NYC for a while in the 1980s, but he had no serious mental illness of which I know. At this point he’s married 15 years with two daughters who attend school and do well in their grades. My point? It was a lifestyle choice that he made. An unusual one from my perspective, but a choice nonetheless.
Anyway, 14,000 or 3,000 most likely includes thousands of veterans of whom we’re aware where they live… know they need help… and fail to make change.
They’re hiding out with Rush Limbaugh and the other chickenhawks.
and there are also these people:
“BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say more than 1.3 million Iraqis remain homeless after being forced to flee six years ago during widespread sectarian violence that threatened their lives.’
The Guardian Feb 2012.
During the American invasion, many people from Iraq fled to Syria to save their lives. I suppose they are now on the move again.
another effect of the American project in the Middle East.
It’s chilling to contemplate the amount of human misery, completely unnecessary, that our government has created in recent years.
Excellent post again.
America IS the definition of “the law of unintended consequences”. Iraqis with no homes. Veterans returing home in the thousands with PTSD and others missing limbs. Veteran’s disability benefits over a year behind in processing checks.
As one might expect, that’s probably a vast understatement of the problem. We have better figures. On December 10 HUD released its “Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness” taken on a single night in January 2012.
Notice a lack of urgency here? The count was taken in January and it took until December to release it. That’s because of a lack of interest in homelessness, and because veterans have served their purpose, made a lot of money for a few people, and they can be written off. Anyhow, here is the veteran homelessness number. It’s not 26,531 it’s 62,619, and that’s probably an underestimate. The estimate of the total number of homeless in the United States was 633,782 and veterans are probably more that ten percent of that, likely more like thirty percent or close to 200,000.
In any case the 26,531 figure is too low.
HUD Releases 2012 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness
Dec. 10, 2012
WASHINGTON – On a single night in January 2012, 62,619 veterans were homeless in the United States.
If we cared about our returning young veterans we would offer them job choices when they came home; from the infrastructure rehabilitation projects our country also so desperately needs. With no jobs when they return, how can they remain “Army Strong’?
And user friendly medical/health services would be awesome.
The young vets filled a glaring progressive deficiency of bold movement voices with OWS ,and we boomers should do everything we can to help them to be what we only faked in our anti-establishment dissent to dodge a war and lead self-obsessed lives .When that vet asked the NYPD where was there honor ,it was easy to see how visibly shaken those cop-vets were .
I don’t do very much except at the local level,but I will do more to help the young vets in 2013 . How a government treats its vets ,is the best test of what government will do for the people it serves.