The Problem...
Homelessness among U.S. veterans is a growing concern across this nation. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 40,056 veterans are on the street nightly, and nearly twice that many will experience homelessness during the course of the year.
Did you know that while only 7% of our population are veterans, close to 13% of homeless adults are veterans?*
According to the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans:
“Approximately 12,700 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation New Dawn (OND) were homeless in 2010. The number of young homeless veterans is increasing, but only constitutes 8.8% of the overall homeless veteran population.”
Homeless veteran demographics
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13% of the homeless adult population are veterans
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20% of the male homeless population are veterans
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68% reside in principal cities
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32% reside in suburban/rural areas
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51% of individual homeless veterans have disabilities
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50% have serious mental illness
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70% have substance abuse problems
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51% are white males, compared to 38% of non-veterans
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50% are age 51 or older, compared to 19% non-veterans
"For those who have lost everything, hope and opportunity are in short supply."
The Mission...
To provide homeless veterans the food, housing and physical/mental care they need is our number one priority. At VCI, we also seek to invest in the future success of our veterans by providing job skills and placement, along with legal help and counseling to empower them to claim a brighter future.
Additional Perspective:
*Source: National Coalition of Homeless Veterans