The sheer numbers of military veterans experiencing homelessness has decreased by 47% since 2010, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Data showed a 17% decrease in veteran homelessness from January 2015 to the same time the next year. The decline quadrupled when compared to previous year’s decline.
Veteran homelessness welcomes ‘significant’ reduction
“We have an absolute duty to ensure those who’ve worn our nation’s uniform have a place to call home,” said Julián Castro, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “While we’ve made remarkable progress toward ending veteran homelessness, we still have work to do to make certain we answer the call of our veterans just as they answered the call of our nation.”
Officials say federal programs and partnerships have lead to a decline of homeless veterans. The HUD and VA have created initiatives to counteract and end homelessness for those who have served in the military.
Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016 showed unemployment for veterans also decreased last year. Of the 495,000 unemployed veterans in 2015, 57 percent were age 45 and over. About 37% were age 25 to 44, and 5 percent were age 18 to 24.
Based on the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the majority of homeless veterans are male, single, living in urban environments and are afflicted by mental illness or substance abuse. Nearly half the homeless veterans served in the Vietnam era.
“The men and women who have fought for this nation should not have to fight to keep a roof over their head, and I’m pleased that VA is serving more veterans than ever before with heath care, education, job training and wraparound supportive services,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald, in a statement. “While this is very real progress that means tens of thousands more veterans have a place to call home, we will not rest until every veteran in need is permanently housed.”
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