Posted: March 27th, 2020
Homeless Veteran Employment
Student Name
Institutional
Affiliation
Homeless Veteran Employment
Problem Statement
Veteran homelessness is a problem
that is presently affecting thousands of war veterans. The recent armed
struggles in Afghanistan and Iraq inclined attention towards the necessities of
veterans, especially those of them that were homeless. Originally, veterans without safe housing were noticed by the
country in the 1970s through to the 1980s, when destitution was a more
perceptible and widespread occurrence (Perl, 2015). Nonetheless, the federal
government – the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefit
Administration (VBA), and Department of Labor (DOL) – has been able to respond
to these concerns by implementing several programs aimed at financing
transitional housing, services, and permanent housing particularly for this
populace (Perl, 2015). Even though some of the schemes were able to reduce the
issue’s prevalence, the core concern involves addressing problems that may
expose them to homelessness. Presently, there are more than 60,000 male and
female veterans with the number increasing among women in comparison to men
(Perl, 2015). This problem has been
attributed further to issues such as the 2007-2009 Global Recession and the
implications of the 9/11 Attacks (Perl, 2015). At
the start of the Obama administration, the federal government applied
the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration (VHPD), which contributed to
a 35 percent decrease in the level of homelessness among veterans. During this
time, the VHPD program provided health care, employment, and housing measures,
especially for veterans that served during and after 9/11 (NAEH, 2015). In
spite of its successes, veteran homelessness consistently prevails across the
United States with most individuals susceptible to lack of housing and health
benefits. I am passionate about understanding the problem and applying rational
approaches that can eradicate it by proposing employment as an alternative. By
establishing schemes focused on work for eligible veterans, especially those
that are at risk of poverty, it will be
possible to reduce dependence on mainstream gains and benefits.
References
National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2015, December 23). Ending homelessness today. Retrieved from https://endhomelessness.org/heres-how-you-end-veteran-homelessness-employment-housing-and-health-care/
Perl, L. (2015). Veterans and homelessness (CRS Report RL 34024). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.
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