NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, DC – "Reducing homelessness among veterans still requires a greater commitment and more resources ," Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, Democratic Leader of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said today after analyzing the recently-released National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients. "Nearly a quarter of America’s homeless are confirmed to be veterans – twice the percentage of veterans in our general population. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must target effort and funding for this quarter of the homeless."

The exhaustive survey made public in December by HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo -- after three years of interagency interpretation of U.S. Census figures – reveals about one-half of homeless veterans served in the Vietnam War. "People may think that means these veterans – 98 percent of them male – have been homeless since their return from combat," Evans said. "Not so. This study documents that people move in and out of homelessness depending on their circumstances, most of them trying hard to get jobs and normalize their lives. While what we’ve done and what we’re continuing to do to assist them through veteran-specific programs has had a significant effect, more is needed."

Yet veteran-specific efforts are barely mentioned in the new report. With 24 percent of the homeless being veterans, scarcely 5 percent of the permanent housing programs focus on veterans’ needs. "The numbers aren’t much better for either transitional housing or emergency shelter programs," Evans said. "Programs that are funded with McKinney Act grants are supposed to focus on some disabled population. If that isn’t happening, it’s a serious problem. Clearly HUD needs to do more to meet the needs of homeless veterans."

The report said that when homeless people get housing assistance and needed services, some 76% of those living in families and 60% of those living alone move from homelessness to an improved living situation after completion of the assistance program. Such services include health care, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, education and job training, the report notes.

"What this means," Evans said, "is we can help people who are trying to work their way out of homelessness, but we must have the programs needed. Veteran-specific programs have an excellent track record. This year the Veterans’ Affairs Committee increased the small amount of funding these programs are authorized through VA and the Department of Labor. I am proud of this victory, but HUD must now support these few veteran-specific programs and grants from other agencies with its own department resources to provide adequate, effective programs for homeless veterans."

The new survey shows that homelessness is associated with a complex range of problems. It found that:

• Some 40% of homeless people surveyed went without food one or more days in the previous month because they couldn't afford food, compared with 3% of other poor Americans.
• Health and disability problems are common among homeless people. When survey participants were asked about their health in the previous month, 46% said they had a chronic health problem such as arthritis or cancer, 39% reported a mental health problem, 38% reported an alcohol problem, and 26% reported a drug problem.
• About 55% said they had no medical insurance, which means homeless veterans must depend on the VA for health care, whether or not they had service-connected disabilities.

Evans noted the need for increased availability of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health services, along with employment programs for homeless veterans. "Most homeless veterans," he said, "have sought help: 57 percent say they have used the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. The report shows the top priority of the homeless people surveyed was to get a job, the first step to self-sufficiency. It said 44% of homeless people surveyed – nearly half -- worked at least part-time during the past month. Despite their personal problems, they’re really trying. I’ve seen that again and again."

The new study was designed and funded by 12 federal agencies under the auspices of the Interagency Council on the Homeless. It is based on interviews completed in 1996 with 4,207 people -- most homeless at the time and the others living in poverty -- who benefited from homeless assistance programs such as soup kitchens. The report is also based on interviews with representatives of 11,909 programs that serve homeless people.

"This is a landmark study," Evans said. "It demonstrates that most people who become homeless have suffered severe hardships – including combat, poverty, and disability -- but they can be successful in escaping homelessness with help from federal and other programs."