Number of Homeless Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Explodes

[w8liftinglady]

http://veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/whats-new/2459-gregg-zoroya

More than 10,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless or in programs aimed at keeping them off the streets, a number that has doubled three times since 2006, according to figures released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The rise comes at a time when the total number of homeless veterans has declined from a peak of about 400,000 in 2004 to 135,000 today.

"We're seeing more and more (Iraq and Afghanistan veterans)," says Richard Thomas, a Volunteers of America case manager at a shelter in Los Angeles. "It's just a bad time for them to return now and get out of the military."

The VA blames the rise on a poor economy and the nature of the current wars, where a limited number of troops serve multiple deployments.

The result is a group of homeless veterans where 70% have a history of combat exposure with its psychological effects, says Peter Dougherty, a senior policy adviser on homelessness at the VA.

[Poll_Blind]

1. Even on a busy news day, never too busy to read, kick and rec this!

PB

[florida08]

2. Dear God

We are destroying our people

[OhioChick]

3. K&R n/t

[Forkboy]

4. K&R

[aquart]

5. Create jobs. Build veterans housing.

Like after World War II.

SPEND.

[cyberpj]

6. Absolutely. And retrain any vet interested in it and employ them to do the building or refurbishing

US has been abandoning vets since Vietnam - an possibly before that. It's a disgrace and needs special focus. I'm rabid anti-war and army but those that either jump or are dragged into risking life and limb deserve our care and concern when they return.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Exactly. Retrofit existing empty buildings that are all around...

green retrofitting, too...provide employment and housing at the same time.

[cyberpj]

10. It's so simple and effective and would have the support of the entire country yet not one person in

D.C. has the imagination or desire to even suggest such a program.

I hope 'the people' realize soon that we don't have to wait for any law regarding term limits and that we have always had the power to create our own term limits with our votes. But we'd better do it quickly before the money behind the greedy bastards manages to rig all the voting in every state.

[OneGrassRoot]

11. Word. As for the green retrofitting....

I'm wondering if we can do it ourselves to a certain degree?

I LOVE Evergreen Cooperatives. They are revitalizing Cleveland and setting a great example.

As we work on changes in DC (removing corporate stranglehold), maybe we can start grassroots initiatives to do some of these programs ourselves, without waiting on Washington?

I'm a passionate advocate of worker-owned co-ops and am trying to gather those who are interested in the same. :)

The UN has established 2012 as "International Year of Cooperatives," and our Senate just last week passed a resolution recognizing it, so we're going to see more attention paid to co-ops very soon.

http://www.evergreencoop.com/


:hi:

[cyberpj]

12. Interesting.

I'm going to chck out your link for more info.

[aquart]

13. Watch vets be demonized like teachers.

I think the wars were stupid and they died for nothing but we sent them and we OWE them. As far as I'm concerned, no vet should ever worry about housing or medical bills EVER. And I feel the same about first responders. We send them to risk death and maiming and then wash our hands of them? NO.

[Mopar151]

14. With you 1000% n/t

[unhappycamper]

7. The economic draft contines.......

No jobs -> enlist.

Of course there are no disclaimers on the enlistment contract. Things like "you may get maimed or dead" or "you may get PTSD or TBI" or "you will be fighting for business interests" are not mentioned.

Just say no.

[Creideiki]

9. +1