Homeless Veteran Employment

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.