This May, HOME, Inc. wants to bring awareness to a huge problem within the United States, homelessness in veterans. While homelessness is not something that any person should have to experience, 11% of all homeless individuals are veterans. According to the National Coalition for Homeless veterans, “Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively.”
Homeless veterans have served in many conflicts, including WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the anti-drug campaigns in South America. Around 1/2 of all homeless veterans served in the Vietnam war, and 1/3 of homeless veterans were stationed in a war zone.
An additional 1/4 million veterans are high risk of homelessness due to poverty and substandard housing. According to a 15-year study, homeless individuals have an mortality rate of 11x compared to individuals that have access to safe & stable housing. HOME, Inc. uses our rental assistance, and homeless prevention programs to prevent homelessness, and these high mortality rates in veterans, and other members of the Des Moines community.