Lorie Curtner

Professor T. Davis
Composition II Mon. Weds. and Fri. 10:30
22 September, 2015
Final Draft-Essay 2-Poverty
The Dilemma of Homeless Veterans
Have you ever wondered which way to turn? Wondered if anyone cared? Perhaps you
Have wondered where your next meal was coming from, or the money to pay a bill. Maybe
You saw something and thought if onlyAlthough in its early stages, thats poverty.
People walk in front of you and dont even blink or wonder why. Pounding the pavement for
a job becomes a disappointment. Homelessness can be a state of mind but very real.
The Homeless themselves can tell you there is more beneath the surface.
American Heritage Dictionary Second College Edition,( Pg. 538 1983) defines poverty
as a lack of money or material comforts; want. Deficiency of amount, Scantiness;
unproductiveness. Even sources are vague. Sources vary on statistics, causes and solutions.
Homelessness is a problem to all concerned. The argument is that we cannot afford
to spend more. An article in Veterans Today states that such an argument is invalid.
Studies show that the costs of leaving our Veterans homeless, especially disabled veterans are
just as high if not higher, than providing them with permanent, supportive housing.
( Homelessness Among Veterans: Self inflicted or Government Betrayal? By GPD,Veterans
Today, 9/2013 pg.6) The same article also states that according to statistics, the most successful
Government program is section 8. The argument that we cannot afford to leave or veterans
Homeless becomes a valid one. How many have seen the sign in the V.A. office that says To
Protect The Widow? Is it true? Although The V.A. does its share, there is much more to be
done. Education Benefits are not enough.

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Another problem that needs addressed is declining hiring and wages. Employers argue
They cannot afford the new minimum wage or to keep people on full time. An article by NELP
(National Employment Law Project) states that while it remains to be seen whether employment
Gains continue at a brisker pace, one thing remains clear: growth of wages remains weak.
(Economy in Focus: Slower Wage Growth, Declining Real Wages Undermine Recovery. April
2012 Pg. 1)
The article in Veterans today had this to say about it. Sadly, both the federal and state
Governments have prevented the successful implementation of the beneficial programs and
services discussed in this article. Such programs and services include food stamps, section8,
and aid to families with dependent children. Therefore, for this country to be unable or unwilling
to adequately care for homeless veterans who fought these wars, is not only a shame and a
travesty of justice, it is also, the ultimate betrayal of the veterans by our government. Op.Sit. (6)
There is a letter of encouragement. New and new programs to help the Government are
springing up. Such a project is Victory Place, a new housing project. In an article in The New
York Times, Shane Groen, a director at the Arizona Coalition to End homelessness, one of the
Citys partners in the program, said the goal was to have them all in permanent housing by
Feb. 2014. (Santos, Phoenix- Program To End Homelessness Among Veterans Reaches
Milestone in Arizona; New York Times; Jan. 15, 2014, Pg. 1-2). The article further states
These milestones are the first significant achievement by individual communities in the Federal
Governments plan to end homelessness among veterans by 2015, part of its ambitious plan to
end homelessness overall by 2020. Although officials have conceded that the plan is behind
schedule, they point to the significant decline in the number of homeless veterans to roughly
58,000, or 9 % of the homeless population, last January from 76,000, or 12% of the nations
Homeless, in 2010as a hopeful sign, given that it happened in spite of difficult economic

Times. The V.A. is also said to offer grants. In an article from The Baltimore Sun, They say
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday it has awarded $5.2 million in
Homeless prevention grants to six Maryland-based nonprofit organizations.
Though much homelessness is a state of mind, it is very real for veterans and others

as well. To help our veterans is to help ourselves. The only way of doing this is to be informed
and involved. If you need help, there is help. Dont give up. While the V.A. is not perfect they
are making progress They need help too. One such help is victory Place which helps to provide
housing for our homeless veterans. It is a positive step in the right direction.

Works Cited Page

Fritze, John; Baltimore Sun; V.A. Grants to aid Homeless Veterans; Aug. 11, 2014
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/keyword/homeless-veterans. Retrieved 9/26/2015.
GPD; Homelessness Among Veterans: Self-inflicted or Government Betrayal?
(veterans today.com/author/admin./) Sept. 2, 2013. Retrieved 9/12/2015.
Santos, Fernanda: Programs to End Homelessness Among Veterans Reaches a
Milestone in Arizona.
Nytimes.com/2014/01/16/us/program-to-end-homelessnes-among-veterans-hitsmilest Retrieved 9/12/2015.
Victory Place, Phoenix, Arizona-Blog.