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November Serves as National Homelessness Awareness Month

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly 8% being female. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 13% of the adult homeless population are veterans.

Roughly 40% 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 are younger on average than the total veteran population. Approximately 9% are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 41% are between the ages of 31 and 50. Conversely, only 5% of all veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30, and less than 23% are between 31 and 50.

America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served our country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone. (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans)

National Homelessness Awareness Month Resource Links:

1. National Coalition for the Homeless – http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
2. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness – http://www.usich.gov/funding_programs/calendar/national_homelessness_awareness_month_policy_briefing/836
3. National Center on Family Homelessness – http://www.familyhomelessness.org/whatsnew.php?p=ss
4. Homeless Shelter Directory – http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/
5. Virginia Homeless Directory Resources – http://www.homeless.us/Virginia-Homeless.html
6. VA Homeless Veterans Services – http://www.va.gov/homeless/for_homeless_veterans.asp
7. National Resource Directory links to various homeless services – https://www.nrd.gov/homeless_assistance
8. National Resource Directory links to housing services (including home loan information and accessible housing search options – https://www.nrd.gov/housing
9. Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless and Housing (including foreclosure assistance) Resources – http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/virginia
10. Department of Housing and Urban Development affordable apartment search engine – http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/index.cfm
11. HopeNow homeowner counseling, foreclosure resources (including military specific programs – http://www.hopenow.com/#
12. VA Home Loans – http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/