The Obama Administration, which is seeking to eliminate veterans homelessness by 2015, has encountered some setbacks in achieving the goal. A new report by the Veteran Administration’s Inspector General has found that the lack of program safety measures and program monitoring for the Grant Per Diem Program, with the goal of helping veterans live independently, are hampering its effectiveness. Today the report was examined by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Prior to the review, committee chairman Senator Patty Murray, who was concerned about the safety of homeless female veterans, had this to say:
“We cannot violate their trust by jeopardizing their privacy, safety, or security when we place them in housing facilities or when they receive care in VA’s facilities”
Safety of Female Homeless Veterans Examined at Hearing
Female veterans make up about 8% (1.8 million) of all veterans, which is double that of 1990. Veterans on the street on any given night has decreased 12% from 2010 to 2011, when the numbers were 76,329 and 67,495, respectively, and is expected to continue to decline. Much of the success has been credited to a housing voucher program. The program is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Do you think the goal of eliminating veteran homelessness can be reached by 2015 with these programs? What else can be done?
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