Homeless Military Veterans

Homeless Military Veterans

Good Evening Ladies and Gentleman. My name is Maurice Murphy. I would like to talk to you this evening about one of are countries biggest problems, Homeless Military Veterans. Veterans of past and current wars, the Vietnam War, Gulf War, the Iraq and Afghanistan War. There are about 200,000 to 225,000 veterans at any given time living on the streets and in shelters. With a total of 700,000 Homeless people in the United States, the veterans make up about 25% of the homeless in the United States.

Young men or women, who have volunteered to fight for their country and are willing to leave their families, friends and jobs. Are promised they everything will be fine when they return homes and that a job will be waiting from them.

For a while things are OK. As a veteran they get a monthly disability check of $700 plus military (healthcare) benefits and veteran benefits. The consequences however of war can cause depression, which leads to taking drugs either by RX or over the counter and your family, friends desert you and you loose your job.

For some it takes just months and for others it takes years, and you are not sure what is wrong with you but it does have a name. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by their military service, for other it is substantial substance abuse and mental health problems.

But some of the problem is the escalating cost of housing and the closing down of many businesses and jobs in this country.

There are several Federal Funded program available to all veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Administration.

They have many benefits and services to assist homeless veterans; Disability benefits, education, health care, rehabilitation services and residential care. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the only federal agency that provides substantial hands-on assistance directly to the homeless. It has a total of 14 Homeless Veterans Programs.

Not all...