Good morning and welcome to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on the effectiveness of VA’s homeless programs. 

Last month, VA announced a 21 percent decrease in the homeless veteran population from more than 195,000 to about 154,000. 

Research tells us that veterans are over represented in the homeless population.  VA is the largest single provider of homeless services reaching about 25 percent of that population. 

VA operates a wide variety of homeless veterans programs designed to provide outreach, supportive services, health care as well as counseling and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders.  They rely heavily on their partnerships with the community and faith based organizations to provide these services.

According to Health Care for Homeless Veterans Programs:  The Nineteenth Annual Report, March 31, 2006, VA’s homeless population demographics are:

• 52 percent had a serious psychiatric problem defined as psychosis, mood disorder or PTSD. 

• 68 percent, or two thirds, were dependent on alcohol and/or drugs.

• 38 percent, or over one-third, were dually diagnosed with serious psychiatric and substance abuse problems.

• 57 percent, or over half, suffered from a serious medical problem.

• The number of homeless women veterans is rising.

Prior to becoming homeless, a large number of veterans at risk have struggled with PTSD or have addictions acquired during, or worsened by, their military service.  These conditions can interrupt their ability to keep a job, establish savings, and in some cases, maintain family harmony. 

Veterans’ family, social, and professional networks may have been broken due to extensive mobility while in service or lengthy periods away from their hometowns and their civilian jobs.  These problems are directly traceable to their experience in military service or to their return to civilian society without having had appropriate transitional supports.

VA reports that approximately 1,500 homeless veterans are from OEF/OIF.  This is a growing population.  It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. 

Concern has been expressed by many that such an early showing of OEF/OIF veterans in the homeless population does not bode well.  It is also believed that the intense repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable. 

We must do a better job of focusing on preventing homelessness, as well as ending it.  This Committee must ensure that the current programs VA has implemented to end homelessness continue to be effective as well as adaptable to the newest generation’s needs.

The time to act is now.  We cannot afford to let history repeat itself.