Wichita chosen for facility for homeless vets

KSN TV-WICHITA, Kansas — The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking at Wichita as one of four sites in the nation to house homeless veterans. It’s estimated that there are about 70 to 100 homeless veterans here in the Wichita area.  The new facility could help as many as half of themThere’s too many, and it’s sad," said Bruce Yearly, retired vet who was once homeless himself. 

The problem seems to be getting worse with more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."It’s simply unacceptable for ….our nation’s veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country," President Obama said Thursday.

"It’s simply unacceptable for ….our nation’s veterans to be faced with homelessness in this country," President Obama said Thursday.

Four sights nationwide have been chosen for transitional housing for veterans.  One of them is Wichita.

"Many of these veterans we anticipate will be returning soldiers from the global War on Terror,” said Tom Sanders, Director of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita.  “We’re giving back to them after their sacrificing for our freedoms.”

Sanders says he believes Wichita was chosen because there is a homeless veteran population here that needs help and because there is sufficient land for such a facility. It would be built on an open field on the southwest corner of the VA campus.

"This will be primary limited to veterans in Wichita, Sedgwick county, a commuting distance," Sanders told KSN.

But the facility would be more than a homeless shelter, the idea is to help vets transition back into society.

"Veterans come back from war troubled,” said Sanders.  “The saying the ‘war is hell’ is absolutely true. And it is very, very difficult, for particularly those who have multiple tours of duty to come back and readjust to society. They need help from us."

Only vets that could be helped will be admitted.

A public hearing on the facility is scheduled for this Monday night at 7p.m. at the Wichita V.A. auditorium.

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