Fact: If military service were not a causal factor in veteran homelessness, only 27% of homeless would be veterans!
In a previous post I’ve documented sources for several statistics relevant to homeless veterans. The data in that post has been carefully researched and represent a significant improvement from my earlier attempts. These new statistics include the percent of the total male homeless over 25 that are veterans (43%). Let me present a couple of relevant charts for those of us who are more visually oriented.
The chart at the left shows that veterans make up 11.7% of the total US population 18 or older.
The figures are documented in the document linked above.
Our total population is 301.9 million and 74.6 percent of us are 18 or older, old enough to enlist. That works out to be just over 225 million, male and female.
The veteran count, also documented in the link above, includes both wartime and peace time living veterans.
The chart at the left is the same except only the male populations are charted.
I’ve chosen to use this chart as it more reasonably represents the age and demographics of homeless veterans.
We also get to compare similar demographics between charts. Less than 1% of veterans under 25 are homeless. Less than 0.3% of homeless vets are women.
The total US Male population 25 and older is 93,800,000. The total male veterans 25 and older is 24,910,000.
Male Veterans Make Up 27% Of Male Population Over 25.
43% of Homeless Men Over 25 are Veterans!
The chart at the left shows that male homeless veterans make up 43% of the male homeless over 25. The data is documented in the previous post link above.
If the homeless veterans were representative of the US male population, you would expect that the last two charts would look very similar.
You would expect the male homeless veterans to represent about 27% of the homeless population.
Veterans are grossly overrepresented in the homeless population.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says this about the homeless veterans:
“Although many homeless veterans served in combat in Vietnam and suffer from PTSD, at this time, epidemiological studies do not suggest that there is a causal connection between military service, service in Vietnam, or exposure to combat and homelessness among veterans.”
The VA Claims “No Causal Connection To Service”
OK, I think the charts above put the lie to that statement. If there were no causal relationship, the homeless veterans would total less than 123,000 instead of the 200,000 that are homeless on any given night and the pie charts would look essentially the same. It is my opinion that PTSD and substance abuse problems acquired while in service play a major role in the lives of homeless veterans.
The VA goes out of its way to try to acquit PTSD and combat service as causal effects. Why do that do that? Why even bring it up at all? Could it be that they know that military service is a factor to homeless veterans (big time) but do not want to pay for it? Smoke screens that try to let us believe they have considered those things and found them not a factor? Well…. something is a factor and it is time the VA took its head out of the sand!
I call on our Congress to get to the bottom of this and fix it.
These are men and women that put on uniforms and took up arms in service to our country and so far our country has been too cheap to treat them as the Heroes that they are.
Oldtimer: Click for All Homeless Veteran Posts.
12 responses so far ↓
Wanderingvet // October 3, 2007 at 1:54 am |
I have a slightly different view but close.
http://wanderingvets.blogspot.com/2007/10/monster-va-built-and-cannot-kill.html
Erich R // October 17, 2007 at 1:46 pm |
Just a little fact here:
According to a news release from the VA dated 4/1/04, the VA spent more then $171 MILLION in grants and per diem funding since 1994. With the veteran homeless population around 180-200,000 per year, that equates to the VA spending on EACH veteran about $880 over the 10 years or, here’s the kicker: $ 88 PER YEAR PER VET!!!!
Yeah, their really helping us vets….
Erich R // October 22, 2007 at 2:57 pm |
here is the news release:
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=740
Oldtimer // October 22, 2007 at 4:38 pm |
Erich, you are right of course! $88.00 a year! About 24 cents a day on averge funding for our homeless heroes. There is almost nothing you can buy for a homeless vet for 24 cents. Maybe if you share a part of a candy bar or a mint or two.
Here is a more recent funding example from one of my earlier posts:VA announces 33 cent per day grants for homeless vets
http://oldtimer.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/va-announces-33-cent-per-day-grants-for-homeless-vets/
Here is another of my even earlier posts where the VA boasts of their funding:
VA allocated 1.37 per homeless vet per day.
http://oldtimer.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/va-allocates-137-per-homeless-vet-per-day/
The difference between the two is one is based on “grants” and the other is based on “total funding for one year” and the one you mentioned is total funding over a 10 year period.
Any way you look at it, the homeless vet gets the short end of the stick.
Thank you very much for helping get the other link and info for us. We need more like you to get on your congress person’s backside.
Oldtimer
Daily Facts // November 9, 2007 at 9:24 am |
Guess what? Your blog is amazing! I can’t remember when was the last time i’ve overcome such a good blog that almost all articles/posts were interesting and wouldn’t regret spending my time reading it. I hope you will keep up the great work you are doing here and i can enjoy my everyday read at your blog.
Oldtimer // November 9, 2007 at 10:31 am |
Well thank you so much! I think that is about the best compliment that I’ve received in a long time.
The Daily Fact is there were more than 200,000 homeless heroes sleeping outside in the cold last night.
Thank you for dropping by.
Oldtimer
August // January 1, 2008 at 12:22 pm |
And if there is any housing funded it’s always prison type conditions for the homeless veterans whos only “crime” is being homeless!
Lyle K'ang // May 16, 2008 at 7:46 pm |
Got you tagged on my site:
http://www.lylemyway.com/Next_Pages/index.html
Thanks for the pertinent information.
Lyle K’ang
World Scoop » Blog Archive » America’s Shame // July 24, 2009 at 7:03 am |
[...] Forty-three percent of homeless men over 25 are veterans, although veterans represent only 27% of men over 25 in the population at large. [...]
Joan E. Dowlin: Is This Any Way to Treat Our Heroes? | Obama Biden White House // October 30, 2009 at 5:38 pm |
[...] recently saw an alarming statistic that said that 43% of homeless males over 25 are veterans. What kind of a country are we when the men and women who fight for us overseas return to a system [...]
Is this any way to treat our heroes « Defense Base Act Compensation Blog // October 31, 2009 at 9:02 am |
[...] recently saw an alarming statistic that said that 43% of homeless males over 25 are veterans. What kind of a country are we when the men and women who fight for us overseas return to a system [...]
Debbie // October 31, 2009 at 12:47 pm |
For those homeless vets that are 65 or older, they are entitle to the Basic level of the VA’s “Improved Pension” which is not disability compensation and not dependent on war related injuries. Basic level can mean up to almost $12,000 a year tax-free, which is a lot more than .24 cents a day and can make a huge difference. Visit http://www.veteranaid.org to learn more about the 3-levels of the Improved Pension.