The Cost of Service: Veterans and Homelessness

-

Homelessness is a major issue that affects a significant portion of veterans in the United States. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, around 11% of the homeless population are veterans. It can have a particularly devastating impact on this group of people, who may already be struggling with physical or mental health issues related to their time in service. Homelessness can exacerbate these issues, making it difficult for veterans to receive the care they need. Additionally, it can make it difficult for veterans to find stable employment, maintain relationships with family and friends, and reintegrate into society.

In the US, over 40,056 people who have served in the military are homeless on any given night. This issue is complex and can be attributed to high housing costs, lack of healthcare, and untreated mental health issues like PTSD. We all have a role to play in addressing this issue. By donating to organizations like the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans or accessing services through the Department of Veterans Affairs, we can help ensure that our fellow citizens who have served have access to housing assistance and mental health treatment. Let's honor the sacrifices of those who have served by working together to end homelessness among Veterans.

Links to donations and websites for more info


National Coalition for Homeless Veterans https://nchv.org/


Department of Veterans Affairs https://www.va.gov/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Access to Healthcare for Homeless Individuals with Disabilities

-
Image
Photo by Sarwer e Kainat Welfare from Pexels. Healthcare access is still a major obstacle for the homeless, especially those with disabilities. The complexity of homelessness and the obstacles faced by people with disabilities in Oregon and elsewhere pose a serious threat to public health. This blog post examines the particular difficulties and potential solutions to enhance access to healthcare for this vulnerable population. Unique Healthcare Challenges for Homeless Individuals with Disabilities A study by Oxford Academic published in "Social Work" highlights several key barriers to healthcare access for homeless individuals with disabilities. These barriers include: Absence of Accessible Services Inadequate care results from many healthcare facilities' lack of capacity to address the unique requirements of people with disabilities. Transportation Problems It can be challenging for homeless people to regularly attend medical visits since they frequently lack access to...
Read more

Hostile Architecture: A Harmful Solution

-
Image
  As homelessness starts to rise in many states, many actions have started to take place, one of them being hostile architecture.   Hostile architecture is an architectural design intended to deter certain activities and restrict people from using that public space. Hostile architecture goes unnoticed by most people, as they don't affect them. Some examples of hostile architecture involve: Armrests on benches Curved or slanted benches Rocky pavements Bike racks and planter boxes in a line Window sills with spikes In Portland, Oregon, the hostile architecture are focused towards the homeless and preventing camping. Since 2013, the state agency has spent over $1 million on what is described as "rockscape landscaping" to keep homeless campers off property owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. In downtown Portland, NW Broadway, dozens of lined up bike racks were installed in. The area isn't an active destination, so the need for that many bike racks i...
Read more

Camp Clearing on the West Coast

-
 On The west Coast homelessness is a serious problem. When considering the homeless crises, Los Angeles is one of the places that comes to mind. Homelessness sweeps beyond “Skid Row” in Los Angeles, in fact it has become widespread throughout California. As of July 25 th, 2024, Gov. Newsom has issued an order to remove all homeless camps in the state of California. Will this be beneficial, will it be improving the lives of homeless individuals, or will it be another pointless tax on Californians? Improving to the lives of homeless individuals; appears to be uncertain as far as we know. Gov. Newsom has decided to invest $24 billion to clean up homeless camps. Gov. Newsom said, “We must act with urgency to address dangerous encampments which subject unsheltered individuals living in them to extreme weather, fires, predatory and criminal activity, and widespread substance use, harming their health, safety and well-being, and which also threaten the safety and viability of nearby busin...
Read more