Tag Archives: homeless shelter

The struggles of female veterans

Posted on by Chris

This week in the news there were a number of articles describing the challenges faced by recent OEF/OIF female veterans.

Former Army Pvt. Margaret Ortiz holds a photo of herself from Iraq in her room at the women’s shelter in Long Beach, Calif. Image courtesy of the AP

Former Army Pvt. Margaret Ortiz holds a photo of herself from Iraq in her room at the women’s shelter in Long Beach, Calif. Image courtesy of the AP

First, the AP has written up a nice article giving some detail on the situation of female homeless veterans. Female homeless veterans face increased risks in that they are usually younger and often have children in their care. Also, in many housing programs like VA-run homeless shelters, only men are eligible to be taken in.

“People think we’re just coming out of the military and we should have our stuff together,” said Tiffany Belle, 33, a former Navy sailor who served in the Philippines after 9-11 and lives with Ortiz at the U.S. Vets program. “It gets really hard. Some people don’t know where to go, what to do.”

Next, also from the AP, is an article about the other challenges even non-homeless female veterans face. Upon coming home, male veterans are clapped on the back, have drinks bought for them at bars, and are generally welcomed into an established network of support and thanks. For female veterans, fitting back in and being warmly welcomed often isn’t so easy. Common challenges like coping with past sexual harassment, PTSD, and a lack of recognition of their service to the country can create a sense of isolation during the process of transitioning back to civilian life.

“What worries me is that women themselves still don’t see themselves as veterans, so they don’t get the care they need for post-traumatic stress syndrome or traumatic brain injury or even sexual assault, which obviously is more unique to women, so we still have a long ways to go,” said Murray, D-Wash.

Visible steps to address veteran homelessness

Posted on by Chris

As we enter December and temperatures continue to drop, we reach the season where survival can be acutely difficult for the homeless. The VA estimates that up to 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. This is clearly a time for serious thinking about how to address this persistent problem.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has publicly committed to working to end veteran homelessness within 5 years. In 2010 the VA will spend $3.2 billion to achieve this goal, with “as much as $500 million going to homeless programs and $2.5 billion to medical services,” according to the Washington Times.

Ending veteran homelessness is no doubt a hugely ambitious goal, but this weekend in the news we see a smattering of stories which provide some hope that substantive steps are being taken to help achieve that goal. A new homeless shelter is has been dedicated in Ventura, CA, which will have the capacity for 60 disabled and elderly veterans and was largely funded by the VA. In Shreveport, LA a similar facility is being opened by the Volunteers of America, with a capacity for 56 veterans. And finally, a 32-bed shelter will open today in Chicago in a ceremony attended by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Illinois Asst. VA Secretary Tammy Duckworth.

As the Washington Times states,

Our time waiting for soldiers to return from war will be well spent if we are about the shared goal of protecting and defending our country. Protecting those least among us from the inhumane conditions of persistent poverty and defending their right to housing.