Homeless Veterans: Bad Numbers Hidden in Good Ones

A seemingly good numbers report on homeless veterans has also shown what some of these veterans were dealing with while forgotten by the American public. 3,000 homeless veterans were admitted into a nursing home. 29,000 had claims approved. 18,000 veterans and their families were provided with permanent housing. For all the numbers we read, this shows they are much more than numbers.

Elderly veterans needing care of a nursing home were out on the streets trying to survive year after year. Disabled veterans waited for care and compensation when no one thought about them. Families finding beds when they could finally have a place to call home.

Number of homeless veterans drops 18 percent
By Rick Maze – Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 7, 2010 16:21:01 EST
An 18 percent drop in the number of homeless veterans over about two years gives hope to the secretary of Veterans Affairs that he’ll be able to keep a pledge made last year to end homelessness among veterans within five years.

Speaking at a national symposium on homelessness, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said the current estimate of homeless veterans is down from about 250,000 a decade ago, a sign that this “national shame” can be solved through coordinating government programs.

Number of homeless veterans drops 18 percent

There is reason for optimism, he said, noting that a national homeless call center has received 13,000 calls since it was created in March and that 18,000 veterans and families of veterans have been provided permanent housing through VA and Housing and Urban Development Department programs.

Also, 29,000 homeless veterans have had their paperwork processed for disability compensation, and 3,000 have been admitted to long-term nursing care facilities for veterans, he said.

We can hear about people complain about their tax dollars being spent on “socialized” programs and how they want to keep their money but we saw how that worked. Homelessness and suffering went up for all Americans but for the veterans, the men and women we send to fight our battles, yet again with our tax dollars, they were forgotten after they were no longer of any service to us.

President Obama set a goal of making sure there were no more homeless veterans by 2014. His leadership has made reports like this possible. When you think about these numbers understand there are still many more, not only needing help, but earned it from us the day they put on their uniforms.