Role Of Homeless Vets In Society

HOMELESS VETERANS CAN BECOME
PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY

Homelessness is a major social issue facing our society today. Homelessness among United States veterans is of particular concern to me because I understand some of the pressures facing vets upon returning to civilian life. Given the Iraq and Afghanistan tours and number of soldiers returning from multiple tours in “hell”, it’s no wonder the number of homeless vets has more than doubled in the past two years. (Zoroya, 2012) Serious measures need to be taken to save our “fallen soldiers” from the perils of a desperate life on the streets of America. We must first understand the life of homeless vets to draw valuable insight into why conventional attempts at solving this
Guest speakers like Walther can put a real face on the issue of homeless vets and success stories fuel continued support and funding for charitable organizations dedicated to eliminating veteran homelessness. Arizona is a leader and provides a model program as recognized by the White House in addressing the homeless veteran and providing proven measurable results. Project H3 Vets is a nationally recognized program coordinated by the Arizona Coalition to End Homeless. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2013 homeless assessment report to Congress, Arizona was among the states that saw the greatest decreases in the number of homeless veterans from 2012 to 2013. (Lee, Success in housing for homeless veterans in Phoenix touted, 2014) Project H3 Vets brought together local, state, community, social-service and business leaders for the past two years in an aggressive push to take the most vulnerable veterans off the streets. The program’s success is credited with these groups coordinated efforts in finding housing for the vets. The model is simple, get a roof over their heads first, and then address the issues (mental health, financial, substance abuse etc.) which contribute to their homelessness. This helps to reduce the Band-Aid effect of social rehab programs. Having a permanent roof over their head takes the
We need to enhance services for female vets which provide a safe place for them to address their issues and rehabilitate back into society. It’s easy to criticize the military for not providing proper exit education to our troops or to blame the VA for the demise of mental health providers. It’s human nature to look for a quick fix to a complex problem. However, war is an experience that keeps on giving back through addiction, divorce, flashbacks, etc. Our soldiers and their families need all the support we can provide. Jeff Susman eloquently states, “We need to do more to reintegrate returning vets into civilian life. The reality is that we owe our vets—and their families—far more than we provide. (Susman, 2012) Susman quotes a soldier he met on a plane a month before Memorial Day. He sat next to a young man returning from his tour of military duty…”He seemed mature, upbeat, and whole. But when I asked him about his experience, he responded: “Sir, I gotta tell you, what I saw was hell.” (Susman,