Common
11-16-2014, 08:46 AM
Theres homeless vets everywhere, every state, every major city.
Im not going into a long diatribe, Im just going to say this is infuriating.
The richest country in the world has untold thousands of men and women who were willing to fight for our country in the streets like stray dogs.
With haunted memories and substance abuse problems, the struggle continues for some New York City veterans as they fight for a place to call homeThe city says there are now 1,645 homeless veterans, but advocates estimate the total number to be two or even three times as high
They trudge through the streets largely invisible — once having fought for this country, and now just fighting for a place to call home.
The luckiest among them have only haunted memories. The worst off have haunted minds, suffering from the kinds of mental illnesses that rob them of the ability to seek help.
They are the city’s homeless veterans.
Mayor de Blasio vowed last week to end homelessness among the veteran population by the end of 2015. It’s a bold pledge — one that experts say will be difficult to keep.
The number of homeless vets in New York is notoriously difficult to pin down. The city says there are now 1,645, down from 3,547 last year.
But some homeless advocates estimate the total number to be two or even three times as high.
“I can’t see the mayor ending homelessness among the veterans,” said Donnell Simon, an outreach case manager at non-profit shelter operator Samaritan Village. “There’s too many of them, and not enough affordable housing.”
The challenges are many. Simon said many older vets, frustrated by decades of empty promises, have lost faith in the system. Others are too proud to ask for help. Plus, many vets aren’t eligible for federal benefits because they don’t have honorable discharges or they served for less than 24 months after 1980.
“There’s a large chunk of veterans out there that I’m seeing that are coming to us who basically have to compete for the same housing resources as everyone else who is homeless,” said Christina Narine, a program director at Goddard Riverside Community Center.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/struggle-homefront-city-veterans-article-1.2012421
Im not going into a long diatribe, Im just going to say this is infuriating.
The richest country in the world has untold thousands of men and women who were willing to fight for our country in the streets like stray dogs.
With haunted memories and substance abuse problems, the struggle continues for some New York City veterans as they fight for a place to call homeThe city says there are now 1,645 homeless veterans, but advocates estimate the total number to be two or even three times as high
They trudge through the streets largely invisible — once having fought for this country, and now just fighting for a place to call home.
The luckiest among them have only haunted memories. The worst off have haunted minds, suffering from the kinds of mental illnesses that rob them of the ability to seek help.
They are the city’s homeless veterans.
Mayor de Blasio vowed last week to end homelessness among the veteran population by the end of 2015. It’s a bold pledge — one that experts say will be difficult to keep.
The number of homeless vets in New York is notoriously difficult to pin down. The city says there are now 1,645, down from 3,547 last year.
But some homeless advocates estimate the total number to be two or even three times as high.
“I can’t see the mayor ending homelessness among the veterans,” said Donnell Simon, an outreach case manager at non-profit shelter operator Samaritan Village. “There’s too many of them, and not enough affordable housing.”
The challenges are many. Simon said many older vets, frustrated by decades of empty promises, have lost faith in the system. Others are too proud to ask for help. Plus, many vets aren’t eligible for federal benefits because they don’t have honorable discharges or they served for less than 24 months after 1980.
“There’s a large chunk of veterans out there that I’m seeing that are coming to us who basically have to compete for the same housing resources as everyone else who is homeless,” said Christina Narine, a program director at Goddard Riverside Community Center.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/struggle-homefront-city-veterans-article-1.2012421