Homeless Veterans... A Hypothesis.

[caerbannogbunny]

One of the anti-recruitment kicking points is the high percentage of homeless people who are veterans. I am of the opinion, they are drawing the wrong conclusion from this correlation. Let me tell you why and ask your opinions on the issue

Comments

Not enough data.....

[alphasunrise]

When you say "high percentage of homeless people who are veterans", where does the statistical data come from?

How does the percentage of veterans compare to the percentage of non-veterans of the same social/racial/economic background? What about the percentage of non-homeless veterans compared to the percentage of non-homeless non-veterans of the same social/racial/economic background? And what specifically is the definition of homeless? Is someone who can't afford a place of their own and lives with relatives or friends included among homeless numbers? What about people housed by the state? Does it include migrant workers? Is it broken down by state and state of origin?

And regarding veterans from the 1960s through the 1970s, when drugs and alcohol were more permissive--when calculating homeless percentages for a given age group from similar prior-service backgrounds, how are prison populations figured in?

Re: Not enough data.....

[caerbannogbunny]

That would have to be something collected, wouldn't it?

I mean, you could do a simple count or try to match people--veterans and non--by SES, age, and ethnic origin.

I also think an operational definition of homeless would also be required, but I'm pretty sure a broad definition would require someone without a current, fixed residence within a permanent structure.

[the_pathogen]

I'm offended you think homelessness is overall a personal choice. Come to Portland, Oregon, and volunteer with a homeless clinic - or better yet, stop into the VA.

You're ignorance to those who are suffering shows your inability to empathize with others - I believe you are a bourgeois sociopath.

[caerbannogbunny]

Wow. Never thought of myself as bourgeois anthing, let along sociopath

[mrvetinari]

This mirrors a conversation some guys in my unit had. We mentioned that some of the skills we picked up through training (avoiding unnecessary attention, improvised shelters, getting fresh water, etc..) were all skills that would make homelessness more survivable, and the skills that one can avoid picking up through military service (paying bills, managing finances, salesmanship) were things that you need to keep a home and normal life.

Where I think you might see a difference is if you looked at Rural homelessness, or looking at the numbers as "the skills you picked up could keep a person just functional enough as a homeless person to avoid institutionalization" (mental hospital, jails, hospitals.. or the morgue).