•Most homeless veterans, 96%, are alone rather than part of a family. Among all homeless people, 66% are without families.
Veterans more likely to be homeless, study says
By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
Military veterans are much more likely to be homeless than other Americans, according to the government's first in-depth study of homelessness among former servicemembers.
About 16% of homeless adults in a one-night survey in January 2009 were veterans, though vets make up only 10% of the adult population.
More than 75,000 veterans were living on the streets or in a temporary shelter that night. In that year, 136,334 veterans spent at least one night in a homeless shelter — a count that did not include homeless veterans living on the streets.
The urgency of the problem is growing as more people return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The study found 11,300 younger veterans, 18 to 30, were in shelters at some point during 2009. Virtually all served in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Mark Johnston, deputy assistant secretary for special needs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD).
The typical vet in a shelter is...
Male: 93%
White, non-Hispanic: 49%
Age: 31-50 45%
Disabled: 52%
Source: HUD, VA
The findings about homeless veterans are in a joint analysis by HUD and the VA. The report, a copy of which was obtained by USA TODAY, is a follow-up to HUD's report on homelessness last year.
Of the 75,609 homeless veterans found on a single night in January 2009, 43% were living on the streets without shelter, and 57% were staying in an emergency shelter or transitional housing.
Nearly half were in California, Texas, New York or Florida.
Other findings:
•Minorities are more likely to be homeless. Of all vets in shelters, 34% were African-American, and 11% were Hispanic. By comparison, 10.5% of all veterans are African-American, and 5.2% are Hispanic.
•Veterans stayed in shelters longer, on average, than non-veterans. The median length of stay for single veterans was 21 days, while non-veterans stayed for 17 days.
•Most homeless veterans, 96%, are alone rather than part of a family. Among all homeless people, 66% are without families.
•The 136,334 veterans who spent at least one night in a shelter during the year studied amount to one of every 168 veterans in the USA and one of every 10 veterans living in poverty.
Here is a link to the whole report. [ large 66 page pdf ]
