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Startling Statistics About Veteran Homelessness: CAP

Startling Numbers Behind Veteran Homelessness
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By 

Former Associate Business Editor, The Huffington Post

Fighting in a war can be a harrowing experience, but imagine coming back and not being able to find a home.

More than one million veterans are at risk of becoming homeless, while tens of thousands of former servicemembers are already living without shelter, according to the Center For American Progress. In fact, one in seven homeless people previously served in the military, a December 2011 report found, and much of the other data surrounding homeless veterans are equally worrisome.

Indeed, the issue of veteran homelessness is becoming increasingly important as defense spending cuts limiting vital benefits for veterans will automatically take effect in 2013, if Congress doesn't take action, according to the Center For American Progress.

As the future of the veteran support systems hangs in the balance, a recent report found that, compared with other homeless people, veterans face even greater adversity. Former service members are 11 percent more likely to develop a life-threatening disease while living without shelter compared to their non-veteran counterparts.

Good news for veterans may be rare but there is some hope. Recent job initiatives by President Obama have helped veteran unemployment fall by six points over the past year. Between January 2010 and January 2011, veteran homelessness declined by 12 percentage points. Still, with wars winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, those numbers could increase rapidly without government safeguards, according to the Center for American Progress.

Here are 16 must-know facts about veteran homelessness. This material "Veteran Poverty by the Numbers" was published by the Center for American Progress:

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Before You Go

Homeless Veterans By The Numbers
One In Seven(01 of12)
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As of December 2011, veterans of the military accounted for one in seven homeless people, the Center for American Progress reports. (credit:AP)
67,000(02 of12)
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The average number of homeless veterans who could be counted on a given night in January last year. Over four in ten of those veterans would go unsheltered, according to the Center for American Progress. (credit:Getty)
45 Percent(03 of12)
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The proportion of homeless veterans that were African-American in 2008, far exceeding the 11 percent of total veterans that African-American, a report cited by the Center for American Progress found. (credit:AP)
1.5 Million(04 of12)
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The number of veterans at imminent risk of homelessness due to lack of support, poverty and poor living conditions, the Center for American Progress reports. (credit:Getty)
30.2 Percent(05 of12)
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Almost a third of veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 were unemployed last year, according to unpublished Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the Center for Progress reports. In 2010, nearly 1 in 10 veterans with disabilities were out of work. (credit:AP)
57 Percent(06 of12)
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More than half of veterans say they're unsure how to professionally network, a 2009 survey found, cited by the Center for American Progress. (credit:AP)
968,000(07 of12)
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In 2010, nearly 1 million U.S. veterans reported being in poverty over the last year, the Center for American Progress reports. (credit:AP)
33,000(08 of12)
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The number of homeless veterans who've been given permanent supportive housing by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2009, according to the Center for American Progress. (credit:AP)
116,000(09 of12)
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According to the Center for American Progress, 116,000 veterans have benefitted from the Veteran Administration's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, including careers services and counseling. (credit:AP)
$31 Million(10 of12)
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The value of SNAP/food stamps that has been dispersed to military commissaries, the Center for American Progress reports. (credit:AP)
One In Five(11 of12)
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20 percent of veteran households benefit from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program that provides heating and cooling services, the Center for American Progress reports. (credit:AP)
1.2 Million(12 of12)
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The number of veterans who took advantage of mental health service benefits in 2010, according to the Center for American Progress. (credit:AP)
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