1 in 4 of Homeless Are Veterans of War

Though the homeless are only 11% of the United States' population, one in four of them are war veterans. Many soldiers coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq are becoming homeless as well.

They served our country, putting their lives on the line. Many of them are physically disabled due to their experiences in war. Most of them have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Now they are living on the streets of the country they fought for. One in four of America's homeless are veterans, according to MSNBC. It's not just the Vietnam war, either. Many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming homeless after receiving little or no help from their own government. So far, over 1500 homeless veterans from current wars have been identified by the Veterans Affairs Department, saying that at least 400 of them have participated in programs for the homeless. Some advocates for the homeless say that it took nearly a decade for the lives of many Vietnam vets to fall apart to the point that they became homeless. The veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming homeless much quicker, which is not a good sign for the future. There is expected to be a huge influx of more homeless as more troops start coming home. While resources have improved for the homeless over the last twenty years, advocates say there are still not nearly enough, and more funding is sorely needed. John Keaveney is a veteran fo the Vietnam War and founded the L.A.-based New Directions, providing help to homeless vets for substance abuse, shelter, and job training. “When the Vietnam War ended, that was part of the problem. The war was over, it was off TV, nobody wanted to hear about it,” said Keaveney, “I think they’ll be forgotten. People get tired of it. It’s not glitzy that these are young, honorable, patriotic Americans. They’ll just be veterans, and that happens after every war.” Jason Kelley is a 23-year-old veteran of Iraq from Tomahawk, WI and served with the Wisconsin National Guard. He went to Los Angeles in hopes of creating a new life with a better job. He was caught in a vicious circle of not being able to find a job because he had no apartment, and unable to find an apartment because he had no job. He lived in a motel for $300 per week until he lost all his money and then moved into an Inglwewood, CA shelter run by U.S. VETS. He has PTSD as well. “The only training I have is infantry training, and there’s not really a need for that in the civilian world,” said Kelley. He hopes to be able to move out of the shelter soon and has enrolled in college. The Alliance to End Homelessness states that, in 2006, there were 495,400 homeless veterans. They are recommending that 5000 housing units be created every year for the next five years as well as making sure 20,000 housing vouchers are provided, hopefully bridging the gap between income and rent. It is truly unfortunate that these veterans have become casualties twice.