The Department of Veterans Affairs has estimated that 75,000 veterans were sleeping on the streets on any given night in 2011, with nearly 135,000 having spent at least one night in a homeless shelter or transitional facility.
That means that one out of every 168 American veterans experienced homelessness during that 12-month period.
The rise in homeless veteran numbers have been steadily increasing for years, with the number of homeless veteran women climbing from 1,380 in 2006 to 3,328 in 2010. These figures have nearly doubled since 1990, growing from 4 percent then to 8 percent today.
Although mortgage rates are lower than they have been in twenty years, with interest rates hitting rock bottom lows of 3.87%, many are still having difficulty landing the loan. This is due to overly restrictive lending conditions, which have proven to be a large barrier between prospective homebuyers and their would-be homes.
Veterans who are freshly out of the service have statistically had a hard time finding work as a civilian, resulting in larger unemployment rates when compared to their civilian counterparts. Lenders typically require a credit score of at least 620 to obtain a VA loan, however building a credit score while unemployed can be nearly impossible.
Many veterans are unable to find work, due to economic and health related circumstances, which has caused them to fall into a vicious cycle where they are unable to obtain proper housing, resulting in increasing homelessness rates nationwide.
Special programs are available to help assist veterans once they are back in civilian life, such as the Transition Assistance Program and the “Make the Call” campaign. The “Make the Call” campaign is the VA’s big push to eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015, and is now being pushed to cities all over the country along with other special programs. This campaign highlights and addresses issues many plaguing veterans, especially homelessness. Their goal is to provide free services and resources in an attempt keep veterans and their families off the street, minimizing the risk of becoming homeless.
The Government Accountability Office has recently suggested that the VA collect more detailed data on homeless veterans in an effort to improve transitional housing while government homes can be supplied.
While the GAO believes female vets may be more likely to be homeless than men, post-traumatic stress disorder and Major Depressive Disorder are often commonalities in all veterans in these situations. Their emphasis is the servicemembers readjustment period to civilian life, noting that there is a specific need to provide a safe and secure environment upon a veteran leaving the service.
The VA and the GAO are currently researching the unique challenges veterans face and the reasons they become homeless, and being proactive while they await results. The VA is working toward grant approvals for permanent housing for those in outreach programs to fill any gaps left open.
These programs will offer a place to live, job placement services, support groups, money management skills and other personal growth skills. Veterans generally stay at these living centers until they find an apartment or receive a voucher for government housing.
The VA also offers a broad range of aid programs, including healthcare for homeless veterans and veterans exiting prison, information on programs like Veteran Stand Downs and Drop-In Centers, and the VA’s Homeless Veteran Dental Assistance Program.
The plan to end veteran homelessness is a huge undertaking, but there is much needed improvement in today’s programs, which rely heavy on preventing homelessness instead of dealing with the after effects.
The VA’s call center for homeless veterans, staffed around the clock by trained professionals, is 877-4AID-VET (or 877-424-3838). For a full list of the new campaign’s cities and start dates, visit the VA’s Public and Intergovernmental Affairs page.
About the author:
“Kevin Pearia is a mortgage commentator for Veterans United Home Loans, and has been featured in blogs such as Mortgage News Daily for his thoughts on the mortgage industry. Kevin grew up in Wentzville, MO and is currently enrolled at the University of Missouri – Columbia (Mizzou). “
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