More than 25 percent of the homeless population in the United States are military veterans, although they represent 11 percent of the civilian adult population, according to a new report.
On any given night last year, nearly 196,000 veterans slept on the street, in a shelter or in transitional housing, the study by the Homelessness Research Institute found.
"Veterans make up a disproportionate share of homeless people," the report said. "This is true despite the fact that veterans are better educated, more likely to be employed and have a lower poverty rate than the general population."
The president of the institute's parent group appealed Thursday to lawmakers and civilians to help solve veteran homelessness before thousands of U.S. service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We know that veterans don't immediately become homeless after they're discharged, but the difficulties may take years to emerge," Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a news conference about the report's findings.
Homelessness veterans has been an ever-growing problem nationwide and finding vets living on the streets in Danbury is no difference than in other cities across this country. One of my first projects in college was reporting on the homelessness and it seems like the problem has only gotten worse. Take a walk to the Danbury Public Library and you'll see what I mean.
Virginia senator Jack(doh) Jim Webb talked about this national disgrace when the report was released last Thursday on CNN's The Situation Room.
Just days ago, a new national report showed once again how heavy the weight of war hangs on those who have taken the mantle. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reported Thursday that, although one in 10 Americans is a veteran, they account for 25 percent of the homeless population. Already veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been found living on the streets.
Many fear that as the number of veterans returning home swells, and the years pass, we will be inundated with thousands of homeless men and women. The perils are expected to be greater in part because for the first time we will be dealing with significant numbers of female veterans, who often bring with them children.
Whatever our thoughts about the current war, we simply cannot allow this to happen.
The factors that contribute to homelessness are many and varied; still, it seems like an issue the world's wealthiest nation ought to be able to conquer. This is especially true when it comes to veterans. Given our resources, there simply is no reason to tolerate the notion that a man or woman who was prepared to die for this country ought instead to find him or herself homeless in it.
There are plenty of ill-conceived government programs, but providing housing to vulnerable veterans seems like the sort of job the government could handle easily, if the money and the will are there.
Veterans become homeless because they return from war broken and lonely, and vulnerable to a variety of well-documented problems: drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a system, albeit badly run and under-funded, that is supposed to help them deal with these problems. Obviously we need to do a better job managing it.
The nation also needs more veterans housing. The National Alliance recommended adding 5,000 more units a year for the next five years, for a total of 25,000; it also recommends creating a voucher program for veterans and another program to provide housing aid to veterans who are working but unable to afford high rents. A large percentage of veterans pay more than half of their income in housing each month.
Surely, given all that veterans have done, the nation ought to be able to find the political will to get these sorts of programs funded. Without a set of comprehensive programs that make veterans' return to civilian life as easy and painless as possible, then this day seems little more than a token.
The best way to honor those who fought for our freedom is to help those who now need our assistance.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
Although Veterans Day was yesterday, I found this story extremely disturbing.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
