Homeless Veterans Need More From Obama

Under The Obama Administration Over 67,000 Veterans Are Still Fighting For A Roof Over Their Heads

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HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS REMAINS UNACCEPTABLY HIGH WHILE OBAMA TOUTS HIS VA SPENDING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

On The Campaign Trail, Obama Has Touted Increased VA Spending As Evidence Of His Commitment To Veterans Issues. “On the stump, Obama has noted his efforts to expand health care benefits for veterans and trumpeted the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs has seen its budget increase each year of his presidency.” (Aamer Madhani, “Obama Campaign Lagging On Vets Support,” USA Today, 5/31/12)

• At A Campaign Event Earlier This Week, Obama Restated His Commitment To “Ending Homelessness Among Veterans.” “Nobody who has fought for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home. That’s why we’ve invested so heavily in making sure that the VA is working the way it’s supposed to. That’s why we’ve put more money into treatment of PTSD and traumatic brain injury; ending homelessness among veterans. But those are investments that we’ve got to make.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event,Council Bluffs, IA, 8/13/12)

But Over 67,000 Veterans Are Still Homeless, Only A Slight Improvement From 2009.“Veterans remain more likely to be homeless than the general population. The VA estimates more than 67,000 sleep in shelters and on the streets or are otherwise considered homeless, a figure that is only slightly better than in 2009.” (Phil Stewart, “Obama’s Struggle To Mend Veterans’ Safety Net,” Reuters, 7/26/12)

• The Annual Homeless Assessment Report To Congress Found That Almost Twice As Many Veterans Have Been Homeless At Some Point During The Year.“The annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found 67,495 homeless veterans nationwide on one night in January 2011, which represented 14 percent of homeless adults in the United States. About double that number had been homeless at some point during the year, the study concluded.” (Barrie Barber, “VA Works To Eliminate Homelessness Among Vets,” Dayton Daily News, 3/22/12)

The VA Has Warned That The Obama’s Goal Of Eliminating Veteran Homelessness By 2015 Is Too Ambitious. “When Obama ran for president, he stated his intention to eliminate veteran homelessness. Once the administration settled in, Shinseki set an ambitious target date of 2015. But a VA document seen by Reuters — which a spokesman described as ‘pre-decisional’ — shows that the target is subject to possible review.” (Phil Stewart, “Obama’s Struggle To Mend Veterans’ Safety Net,” Reuters, 7/26/12)

• High Veteran Unemployment Rates And The Military Drawdown Are Likely To Prevent The VA From Reaching Its 2015 Deadline. “‘Things that would make us look at our time line would be things like the military drawdown and how veterans are impacted,’ said Lisa Pape, the national director for homeless programs at the Veterans Health Administration, in late March. Unemployment rates are a factor, too, ‘and as you know, they’ve not been decreasing.’” (Phil Stewart, “Obama’s Struggle To Mend Veterans’ Safety Net,” Reuters, 7/26/12)

Homelessness Among Female Veterans Has Increased Over The Past Decade And “Resources For Them Haven’t Kept Up . ” “Once primarily male veteran problems, homelessness and economic struggles are escalating among female veterans, whose numbers have grown during the past decade of U.S. wars while resources for them haven’t kept up.” (Eric Tucker, “More Women Vets Are Homeless, But Housing Scarce,” The Associated Press, 4/4/12)

• “The Population Of Female Veterans Without Permanent Shelter Has More Than Doubled…And May Continue Climbing Now That The Iraq War Has Ended.” “The population of female veterans without permanent shelter has more than doubled in the last half-dozen years and may continue climbing now that the Iraq war has ended, sending women home with the same stresses as their male counterparts — plus some gender-specific ones that make them more susceptible to homelessness.” (Eric Tucker, “More Women Vets Are Homeless, But Housing Scarce,” The Associated Press, 4/4/12)
• Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): “I Think It’s Very Clear That Women Veterans In Particular Lack The Services They Need.” (Eric Tucker, “More Women Vets Are Homeless, But Housing Scarce,” The Associated Press, 4/4/12)

EVEN OBAMA SUPPORTERS HAVE CRITICIZED OBAMA FOR NOT DOING ENOUGH TO HELP HOMELESS VETERANS

Obama Has Been Criticized By His Former Law Professor Laurence Tribe And Democrat Activist Bobby Shriver For Failing To Address The Growing Population Of Homeless Veterans. “The Obama administration also faces criticism from some allies, including the president’s former Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe and Kennedy family scion Bobby Shriver, for being slow to stem the growing numbers of homeless veterans. Tribe is among a group of lawyers suing the administration in an attempt to push the VA to refurbish and reopen a 400-acre shuttered shelter and rehab property in west Los Angeles.” (Aamer Madhani, “Obama Campaign Lagging On Vets Support,” USA Today, 5/31/12)

• Laurence Tribe: “There’s A Huge Gap Between Our Rhetoric And Reality.”LAURENCE TRIBE: “You know, you tell me. I mean, it’s shocking that we don’t live up to our ideals. I believe the president when he says that we should solve the problem of homelessness among veterans. I believe General Shinseki. They’ve got a lot on their plate, and they have high aspirations. But these veterans in the meantime are roaming the streets, sleeping under bridges. And there’s a huge gap between our rhetoric and reality.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 7/11/11)

• Shriver: “The President Cannot Continue To Use His Administration’s Efforts For Veterans As Campaign Applause Lines.” “The president cannot continue to use his administration’s efforts for veterans as campaign applause lines. He instead must insist that the VA once and for all ensure that homeless veterans with severe disabilities — in Los Angeles and across the nation — have access to stable housing linked with appropriate supportive services. Study after study has proved that this approach is not only effective, it also costs the VA far less than the consequences of not taking care of homeless and mentally ill vets. This is Obama’s rhetoric: ‘This country will care for our veterans and serve our veterans as well as they’ve served us.’ Fine words. But the time for words has passed. It’s time for action.” (Bobby Shriver, Op-Ed, “How To House Homeless Vets,” Los Angeles Times, 5/28/12)