Are we doing enough? Ending veteran homelessness: How cities around the US are doing

2015-09-19T14:40:26-04:00

Are we doing enough? Ending veteran homelessness: How cities around the US are doing.

RP members is this a positive WIN for our current POTUS?

This article gives a snapshot of what certain cities are doing around the country for our Homeless Veterans, but not the whole picture.

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/ending-veteran-homelessness-how-cities-around-the-us-are-doing-1.326650

Ending veteran homelessness: How cities around the US are doing

Since 2010, when President Barack Obama launched a five-year national campaign to end homelessness among veterans, the number of former servicemembers living on the streets has dropped from over 76,000 to below 50,000. Here’s a look at efforts in a handful of U.S. cities' progress, based on figures provided by federal, state and local agencies.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Sep 19 at 2015 2:44 PM

2015-09-19T14:44:26-04:00

This article looks good, but there are many more out there. Many with mental disabilities and some what actually choose to remain on the streets.

Response by SPC Nick Lai made Sep 19 at 2015 2:44 PM

2015-09-19T14:44:59-04:00

Amazing how US aiding other country but, can't aide our own veterans, this is unacceptable.

Response by SSG Ricardo Marcial made Sep 19 at 2015 2:48 PM

2015-09-19T14:48:17-04:00

Please dont let these stats fool you. There are plenty of homeless vets that do not seek assistance or self identify as veterans when seeking help. Many have been out there too long and hust wont under any circumstances seek or want help. NYC was reported to have been shipping their homeless outside of the city to other communities. The stats just do not reflect the real number of homeless veterans or homeless people accurately.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Sep 19 at 2015 2:49 PM

2015-09-19T14:49:05-04:00

This news is fabulous news!
I still see homeless veterans on our streets; here in San Francisco; such that I pray we can make their lives quality lives again.
I was homeless myself. (It is the "hardest job" to at which to work.)
We veterans can all pitch in and help the homeless; as we see fit.
(I feed the homeless at a "Soup Kitchen".)

Response by COL Ted Mc made Sep 19 at 2015 2:58 PM

2015-09-19T14:58:19-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Colonel; Let's try something a bit different.

When a city has property which is abandoned, that property can usually be rehabilitated and made fit for use (except that the city cannot afford the cost of the labor involved).

Why not give that property to the homeless veterans who are willing to provide the labor needed to rehabilitate the property and to live in it afterwards. and then use the funds that are currently going to provide "shelter for the homeless" to pay for the materials needed to rehabilitate the buildings. (Actually, the first couple of years you'd have to provide additional funding, but after that the funding could come from the amount which is no longer needed to provide "shelter for the homeless".)

If you started with some of the inner city properties and made sure that the veterans knew that they would be allowed to defend their property against outside gangs, the "ink spot effect" might well result in those inner city residents who did NOT want to live in a gang infested society clustering around the veterans areas and developing a mutual aid type of society.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 19 at 2015 3:59 PM

2015-09-19T15:59:52-04:00

Unfortunately like many government proposed solutions the article focuses on federal, state and city money focused on housing veterans COL Mikel J. Burroughs. As is typical, the administrations of these cities bifurcate veteran and non-veteran homelessness.
There are millions of homeless in this nation, many of whom are veterans, and the reasons for homelessness are myriad - from eviction after loss of job, through disaster destroying homes [flooding, tornado, wildfire, etc], to mental illness [the governments closed most of the metal institutions which housed, cared for and fed many mentally ill people who could not function in an increasingly complex society - some of those loosed onto the street were veterans from earlier wars].
Some of the homeless, especially families with young children will most likely welcome the efforts to provide housing for them - hopefully with sweat equity the way Habitat for Humanity and similar organizations do.
The veterans who want little do to with the society will most likely not want to be moved into government housing. In some cases the society they returned to welcomed them; but. in many cases people rejected their service as barbarism. Those are the veterans, after the mentally ill, who are most at risk.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 19 at 2015 6:06 PM

2015-09-19T18:06:28-04:00

Houston found a way to get 3,000 homeless vets off the street, but there are still more at every main road or highway begging. I have never asked them if they are really vets, so I don't know about that. If they are vets, they probably don't know any other life and don't want help. The ones who get help have to get off drugs and alcohol and learn a skill. Some would rather get drunk and stay high than give it up. The ones I hate to see are the women with a kid or is pregnant.

Response by SPC Jack Hunt, JR made Sep 19 at 2015 6:27 PM

2015-09-19T18:27:06-04:00

On the topic of homelessness, does anyone have any information on the PDBR. I don't really follw why Vetrans who are or at one time were homeless are chosen for the program.

I got my docket number 6 months ago and was wondering how long the process actually takes.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 19 at 2015 7:51 PM

2015-09-19T19:51:44-04:00

Many of those veterans will need mental health care and detoxification.

Response by SSG Michael Hartsfield made Sep 19 at 2015 9:35 PM

2015-09-19T21:35:22-04:00

HELL NO!! If the VA did what they claimed to do for veterans ALL THE TIME instead of when they get busted or during an election cycle, there wouldn't be as bad a crisis as veteran homelessness.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Sep 20 at 2015 10:40 AM

2015-09-20T10:40:02-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs the key word is CERTAIN cities. That the country isn't doing enough is horrid...