Causes of homelessness among the veteran population

Project (M.S.W., Social Work) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2011.One out of every three homeless men who are sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. The inability to address the needs of the veteran population concerning mental health issues, addiction, medical problems, and affordable housing options has lead to a large amount of the veteran population becoming homeless or at risk for homelessness. Although there are hundreds of studies documenting the need for additional resources for this population, there remain significant numbers of veterans who are homeless. This project will allow social workers to better understand overlapping patterns causes of homelessness and issues surrounding housing homeless veterans. \ud Sources of Data\ud \ud This study was a secondary analysis of data which was originally collected to assess the outcomes of the Integrated Health Care and Housing Supports from Federal Agencies in the Evaluation of the HUD-VA Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH). The data was made available by the Department of Veteran Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). \ud Conclusions Reached\ud \ud This study demonstrated that the HUD-VASH program is effective in reducing the amount of days a veteran is homeless, helps increase community adjustment and decreases levels of criminal activity. This study also gave insight into issues with substance abuse and relapse that need to be addressed to increase the amount of days they are housed. By acknowledging that 50% of veterans dropped out of this program due to substance abuse, case managers and program administrators can better target this specific problem.Social Wor