One thing I've never understood about veterans is how they become homeless. While working in Philadelphia for two summers, I saw many homeless people, and at least 25% of them claimed to be veterans. Some of them had missing limbs or were otherwise disabled, and it was amazing to me that someone who risked their life for our country could be left on the street to suffer.
Transitioning from active combat to normal civilian life can be extremely difficult, especially for those who suffer from PTSD or physical disabilities. Although some veterans are able to find jobs without much trouble, others are left searching. Some choose to pursue careers like Firefighting and Law Enforcement, which have similar ranks and training systems to the military, but others have limited education and are unable to find work.
According to an article on Military.com, one of the biggest factors that causes veterans to become homeless is their inability to responsibly handle finances. According to the article, veterans are "less familiar with household budgets, more likely to be targets for predatory lenders and “may not have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for being financially independent and managing money." According to a statistic from Veterans, Inc., approximately 33% of homeless males are veterans. Although there are other factors, educating veterans and other military personnel about financial responsibility would be a fairly easy and inexpensive way to address and help reduce the amount of homeless or otherwise financially unstable veterans.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to end veteran homelessness by 2015, saying that "no one who has served our country should ever go without a safe, stable place to call home" (VA). Although some may see this as improbable, everyone can agree that no veteran should be left on the streets, ignored by most. With help from government funding, donations, and volunteers, perhaps eventually homeless veterans will become a thing of the past.
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