The ugly truth about homeless Vets
More than one million veterans are at risk of becoming homeless, while tens of thousands of former vets are already living without shelter, according to the Center For American Progress. (1 in 7 )one in seven homeless people previously served in the military, according to a December 2011 report by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. On any giving night there are over 60,000 Veterans who are homeless says the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2012.
DEMOGRAPHICS OF HOMELESS VETERANS
DEMOGRAPHICS OF HOMELESS VETERANS
- 13% of the homeless adult population are veterans
- 20% of the male homeless population are veterans
- 68% reside in principal cities
- 32% reside in suburban/rural areas
- 51% of individual homeless veterans have disabilities
- 50% have serious mental illness
- 70% have substance abuse problems
- 51% are white males, compared to 38% of non-veterans
- 50% are age 51 or older, compared to 19% non-veterans
Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by -- no one keeps national records on homeless veterans -- the VA estimates that 200,00 veterans are homeless on any given night. And approximately twice that many experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23 percent of all homeless people in America
