Homeless Veterans And Hiv
Homeless Veterans are at least three times more likely than the rest of the U.S. population to be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. A study led by researchers at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, published in 2015, looked at a new way to identify Veterans with HIV and get them quickly into treatment programs.
Because traditional HIV testing involves several appointments at health care facilities, including taking the test, receiving the results, and receiving counseling and links to care if the results are positive, this kind of testing is neither practical nor feasible for a highly transient population of homeless individuals.
Instead, the research team, along with counselors from two municipal offices, repeatedly visited three Los Angeles shelters to provide AIDS testing, results, and follow-up if necessary to Veterans and other residents.
The team tested 817 shelter residents, 37 of whom were Veterans. None of the Veterans had HIV seven of the other residents’ tests came back positive, and five of them were linked to care.
The cost of the screening program was $48.95 per client, and the team believes that given the high costs and health risks of untreated HIV infection, the program is cost-effective, and could have a “massive” effect on reducing HIV rates among homeless Veterans and others.
Key Question #3 Are There Factors Specific To Military Service That Increase The Risk Of Homelessness Or Is The Increased Risk A Marker For Pre
Very little research designed to investigate military specific risk factors for homelessness has been conducted. Pre-military risk factors or comorbidities do not account for the over-representation of Veterans among the nations homeless. Prolonged or intense combat exposure appears to indirectly increase the risk of homelessness through its impact on mental health, employment, and social support., Some exposures that may increase the risk of homelessness, like alcohol/drug abuse and low social support, frequently emerge during service or the post-deployment period., Though only examined to date by one small study, has been associated with increased risk of homelessness among female Veterans.
No study has comprehensively looked at risk factors for emerging / cohorts of Veterans. Future research should employ longitudinal study designs and more detailed data concerning combat exposures to track the general population of Veterans exposures to clearly-defined potential risk factors during active duty and the readjustment/post-deployment period.
Universal Reasons For Homelessness
What all homeless individuals have in common is they all become homeless for the same reasons: job loss, eviction, health problems, spousal separation, domestic violence, addiction, and imprisonment. Read “Why People Become Homeless“ for more on why all people become homeless.
But veterans, on the other hand, are especially prone to health and addiction problems. Why is this so?
Wartime.
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What Is A Homeless Veteran
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development clarifies that a person is experiencing homelessness if they meet any of these criteria:2
- A person who does not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
- Someone who stays overnight at a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used for sleeping .
- A person who is living in a temporary shelter. These could include homeless shelters, motels paid for by the government or by charities, and transitional housing.
- Someone who is living in a place not meant for human habitation.
- A person who is getting ready to lose their home and has no other place to go.
Key Question #1b How Has The Prevalence And Incidence Of Homelessness Among Veterans Changed Over Time
Because of changes in reporting and in the methods for counting the number of homeless, estimates of the prevalence of homelessness among Veterans over time are not comparable. The 16th report estimated that there were 107,000 Veterans homeless on a single day in January 2008. In contrast, the 2009 Veteran estimates that there were 75,609 homeless Veterans on a single night in January 2009. While this 30 percent decrease in the number of homeless could be real, it is more likely an artifact of changes in the methods for counting and adjusting estimates therefore, we suggest caution when using previous estimates to examine changes in prevalence over time. and the intend to continue to collaborate on future annual Veteran supplements to the AHAR which should result in more consistent estimates for tracking trends in homelessness among Veterans.
However, even these new estimates should be interpreted with caution for several reasons. First, as points out, the data on Veteran status are for sheltered homeless only. Some researchers have speculated that Veterans, are more likely than other homeless groups to remain unsheltered. Second, some of the residential programs for the homeless that are funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs do not report data to the . Moreover, there is anecdotal evidence that homeless Veterans do not always reveal their Veteran status to program staff.
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Doesn’t The Department Of Veterans Affairs Take Care Of Homeless Veterans
Yes, they do. But the problem of homelessness among veterans is a big one. The VA served more than 92,000 homeless veterans in 2009. With an estimated 500,000 veterans homeless at some time during the year, the VA reaches 20% of those in need, leaving 400,000 veterans without supportive services.
Since 1987, the VA’s programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with community service providers like Green Doors to help expand services to more homeless veterans. For more information about VA homeless veteran programs, go to www.va.gov/homeless.
How Many Veterans Experience Homelessness
On a single night in January 2020:
- 37,252 veterans were experiencing homelessness.
- 22,048 veterans were sheltered, while 15,204 veterans were unsheltered.
- Most homeless veterans were without children only 2 percent were homeless as part of a family.
- 91.3 percent were men, while 8.4 percent were women.
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What Is The Primary Cause Of Veteran Homelessness
Veterans are 50% more likely to become homeless than other Americans due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
- About 1.5 million veterans are considered at-risk of homelessness. At risk is defined as being below the poverty level and paying more than 50% of household income on rent. It also includes households with a member who has a disability, a person living alone, and those who are not in the labor force.
- Research shows that the greatest risk factors for homelessness are lack of support and social isolation after discharge. Veterans have low marriage rates and high divorce rates and, currently, 1 in 5 veterans is living alone. Social networks are particularly important for those who have a crisis or need temporary help. Without this assistance, they are at high risk for homelessness.
- Nearly half a million veterans are severely rent burdened and paying more than 50% of their income for rent. More than half of veterans with severe housing cost burden fell below the poverty level and 43% receive food stamps.
- Approximately 45% of the 1.6 million veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are seeking disability compensation. The average wait to get a disability claim processed is now eight months. Payments range from $127/month for a 10% disability to $2,769 for a full disability.
National Survey Of Homeless Assistance Providers And Clients
One of the most widely used sources of information on homelessness in general, as well as on homelessness among Veterans, is the . This survey was conducted between October 18, 1996 and November 14, 1996 and included a nationally representative sample of over 4,000 homeless clients of nearly 12,000 homeless assistance providers. The survey collected data on, among other things, Veteran status, mental health, drug and alcohol use, and homelessness status . While in 1996, 13 percent of adult U.S. population were Veterans, 23 percent of the then currently homeless clients were Veterans. Considering males only, 33 percent of the male homeless clients were Veterans compared with 31 percent of the adult male U.S. population.
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Key Question #1a What Is The Prevalence And Incidence Of Homelessness Among Veterans
For reasons discussed earlier in the Limitations section, the exact number of homeless Veterans is unknown. The most recent for Veterans report estimates that on on a single night in January 2008 there were 107,000 homeless Veterans. This represents a decrease of 18 percent from the estimate of 131,000 homeless Veterans reported in the 2008 CHALENG report. It is argued that this is primarily the result of changes in counting methods rather than an actual decline in the number of homeless Veterans. The CHALENG report further speculates that improved methods , program interventions, changing demographics, and recent events may have had an impact on the reported prevalence of homelessness among Veterans. With nearly 23 million Veterans in the U.S. population in 2008, and an estimated 107,000 homeless, the rate of homelessness among Veterans was approximately 47 for every 10,000 Veterans. This rate is more than double the rate of homelessness in the general adult population.
The recently released 2009 Veteran estimates that on a single night in January 2009 there were 75,609 homeless Veterans and that an estimated 136,334 Veterans spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. Based on the Veteran AHAR estimate of 75,609 homeless Veterans on a single night in January 2009, approximately 33 of every 10,000 Veterans were homeless.
Problems In Sampling And Populations
Sampling limitations are common. Most studies include samples that disproportionately comprise the chronically homeless rather than the newly homeless. Studies often rely on small, geographically isolated samples, which make it difficult to make generalizations about the larger homeless population. In addition, several studies examine former homeless individuals, often termed ever homeless, in order to draw more generalizable conclusions about the homeless experience. Although such studies are useful, their sample selection includes only those, who for whatever reason, have made it out of homelessness, thus undersampling those who may have higher rates of symptom severity for risk factors such as substance abuse and mental illness.
Few studies directly assess the prevalence of psychiatric, substance abuse, or chronic illness in the general population of homeless Veterans. Most studies rely on already morbid populations seeking treatment for services and so cannot provide estimates of prevalence in the population as a whole. Fischer and Breakey further point out that much research has relied on nonrandom sampling frames, which may introduce bias, thus influencing prevalence rates of certain attributes. Rates of alcohol, drug, and mental health problems, for instance, tend to appear larger among homeless individuals sampled in shelters, clinics and on the streets and lower in sampling sites such as food or service providers.
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Va Vows To House 38000 Veterans Experiencing Homelessness In 2022
Between 2010 and 2020, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness was cut in half. Unfortunately, that progress has stalled since 2016. Through the Permanent Housing Placement National Challenge, the Department of Veterans Affairs aims to rehouse at least 38,000 Veterans.
Achieving this goal requires a collective effort by all VA homeless program providers, with particular focus on:
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Homeless Veterans In America
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America is proud of her veterans. That much we know. Our country does a lot for those who have worn the uniform and swore to defend our freedom. But sometimes people, even veterans fall through the cracks. There are over 630,000 homeless people in America. 67,495 are veterans. It amazes me that in todays society, over 1 in 10 homeless people in America are veterans.
There are a variety of reasons for such a large percentage of homeless being veterans.
Studies show that the veteran population is 2x more likely to become chronically homeless than other American groups. There are many reasons veterans make up such a large percentage of the homeless population. Contributing factors include long periods of unemployment, foreclosure, mental illness, and poverty.
Here are some numbers to back up the contributing factors:
- Over 968,000 veterans lived in poverty in the last year.
- 20,000 veterans with government sponsored mortgages lost their homes in 2010.
- 76% of homeless veterans experience alcohol, drug, or mental health issues.30.2% of veterans ages 18-24 are unemployed.
Its easy to jump to conclusions, but we shouldnt. Here is some surprising information about homeless veterans:
- 89% received an honorable discharge.
- 67% served 3 years or more.
- 47% are Vietnam veterans
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Prolonged Or Intense Combat Exposure Indirectly But Substantially Increases The Risk Of Homelessness
Two studies that investigated homelessness outcomes in relation to exposures to hypothesized military service risk factors were identified: Rosenheck and Fontana and Washington, Yano and Macguire. Rosenheck and Fontana looked at pre-service, military service , and post-service experiences as risk factors for Veterans serving during the Vietnam War era Washington and colleagues examined military and other sexual trauma among female Veterans of several eras. Rosenheck and Fontanas data allowed for a division of the sample into ever-homeless and never-homeless, while Washington and colleagues did not collect data on past housing status and, in fact, noted in their results that much of their housed population might be at risk for homelessness due to common characteristics. This difference in how homelessness was defined may account for some of the differences in their findings, as may the fact that Rosenheck and Fontanas study included only men and was conducted nearly two decades before Washington and colleagues study, which included only women. Both studies were observational, cross-sectional studies which could not examine causality, although Rosenheck and Fontanas structural equation model allowed for modeling of temporal relationships among some variables. A longitudinal study collecting baseline data prior to military service and tracking individuals through time to determine ever/never homeless outcomes would contribute greatly to the evidence base in this area.
Why Do Veterans Experience Homelessness
Veterans are more likely than civilians to experience homelessness. Like the general homeless population, veterans are at a significantly increased risk of homelessness if they have low socioeconomic status, a mental health disorder, and/or a history of substance abuse. Yet, because of veterans military service, this population is at higher risk of experiencing traumatic brain injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , both of which have been found to be among the most substantial risk factors for homelessness. A 2015 study of veterans initiating medication-administered treatment screened each of these patients for risk of homelessness and found that the prevalence of homelessness in veterans with opioid use disorder is 10 times more than the general veteran population.
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Trauma In Homeless Veterans
Relationship of PTSD and anxiety disorders to homelessnessResearchers from the VA New England MIRECC and the Yale School of Medicine found in 2017 that 5.6 percent of more than 300,000 Veterans who had been referred to VA anxiety or PTSD clinics experienced homelessness within the one-year time period of the study. The homelessness rate for the entire Veteran population is about 3.7 percent over a five-year period. Veterans who were unmarried or diagnosed with a drug use disorder were more than twice as likely to become homeless as others.
Housing Interventions With Veterans
A study conducted by OâConnell, Kasprow and Rosenheck is a secondary analysis of data from the evaluation of the HUD-VASH initiative that began in 1992 to provide housing for veterans with psychiatric disorders. They compared the results of three kinds of interventions with 460 veterans across nineteen sites in the country. They were assigned to three groups one group was given a voucher and intensive case management, one group was given intensive case management only, and one group was given standard care only. Intensive case management included help locating an apartment, while standard care which consisted of short-term broker case management provided by the Health Care for Homeless Veterans outreach workers. An evaluation assistant conducted follow up interviews every three months for up to five years. Through that they found that individuals in the intensive case management group had lower scores on quality of life which was measured by the Lehman Quality of Life Interview. This is a structured questionnaire to assess the life circumstances of persons with severe and persistent mental illness.
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Ptsd Is No Laughing Matter
Many who have not experienced trauma before just simply cannot understand it. Physicians cannot truly understand it unless they have experienced it for themselves. Veteran Warrior Outreach understands this. While being a small outreach program with limited funding, our hearts are very big, and we make every effort to try and offer support to veterans in need. Understanding PTSD and the effects of war is something that we can relate to, and this is why we can easily relate and help our brothers and sisters.
Regardless of the exact statistics, there are many homeless veterans, many of which suffer from PTSD and other difficulties. Our goal at Veteran Warrior Outreach is to make as much of a positive impact as possible in the lives of these veterans. If you know a homeless veteran suffering from PTSD, please do not hesitate to help them get in contact with us.
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Why Do Veterans Become Homeless
Veterans are over-represented in the homeless population. A 2019 report showed that 21 out of every 10,000 veterans were homeless, compared to 17 out of every 10,000 Americans.
Steve Berg, vice president of programs and policy for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said there are many reasons why veterans experience homelessness, including trauma from military service that can lead to mental health issues that put people at greater risk to experience homelessness.
President Barack Obama pushed for heavy investment to end veteran homelessness during his administration, which has led to a decline over the past 12 years, Berg said.
The number of veterans in homeless shelters in the United States has decreased by more than 20,000 since 2010, but still there were around 20,000 veterans in shelters in 2021, according to the new congressional report.
The federal government provides more funding and resources for veterans experiencing homelessness than it does for the general homeless population, but more action is needed to eradicate veteran homelessness, Berg said.
“It’s better, but it’s still not enough. That’s basically the problem,” he said.
Berg said he didn’t know why Arizona and some other states saw an increase in veteran homelessness last year a break from the national downward trend. He said the lack of affordable housing in states like Arizona could have led to more homelessness generally.
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