Thursday
May012008
Veterans owed more than blanket, hot meal
Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 11:08AM
At the Senate Appropriations Committee, Joint Subcommittee meeting on “Homeless Veterans,” Senator Patty Murray(D-WA) said when our country fails to live up to obligations to our veterans, there is a result of high rates of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and chronic unemployment, and all of these are contributing factors to homelessness. Experts estimate that 1 in 4 of all the nation’s homeless are veterans. Our veterans are heroes, she said, and we must ensure that they never reach the point of homelessness. Women veterans are the fastest growing group of homeless veterans, and we must ensure that the Veteran’s Administration evolves along with the needs of the veterans that it is serving, but HUD (Housing and Urban Development) must take steps to promote affordable housing.
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) said we have to provide veterans with health care, mental health care, and transitional services. He quoted a different set of statistics, saying that approximately 20-33 percent of the homeless in shelters are veterans. The bottom line, he said, is that it’s critical for the success of the programs to have properly trained staff and appropriate facilities. A large percentage of veterans that are homeless served in Vietnam or Korea, and they’ve got trouble dealing with transitioning back into civilian life and dealing with guilt and forgiveness. “Our veterans are owed more than a blanket and a hot meal,” he said.
Mark Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, HUD, said they have developed programs specifically to deal with homeless veterans. Because homeless people face many challenges, there is a need to have many separate programs to deal with each specific issue. HUD just announced a 11.75% reduction in homelessness since 2005. This is the first time we’ve ever seen a reduction in homelessness, Johnston said. HUD had partnered with the VA and others to target the chronically homeless. HUD provided permanent housing, and this have provided a permanent solutions to thousands.
Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said their goal is to help veterans not only with benefits, but to help them find gainful employment and permanent housing. Benefits are very important, and they have expedited homeless veteran’s claims. We believe that it is important, he said, that veterans receive health care benefits which may or may not be contributing to their homelessness. There has been a significant reduction in homelessness, but funding is needed to ensure that the program continues and chronic homelessness be addressed.
Cheryl Beversdorf, President and CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, said veterans receive employment assistance, transitional housing, and counseling. Affordable housing is the number one unmet need amongst veterans, particularly those with chronic health problems. She requested Congress to provide supportive services to veterans, and help with funds made available so that there would be an increase in available housing made to low income veterans. When asked why so many veterans are homeless, she said PTSD is a significant issue, along with employment problems, health problems, and that so many things veterans have learned in the military are not transferable to civilian life.
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) said we have to provide veterans with health care, mental health care, and transitional services. He quoted a different set of statistics, saying that approximately 20-33 percent of the homeless in shelters are veterans. The bottom line, he said, is that it’s critical for the success of the programs to have properly trained staff and appropriate facilities. A large percentage of veterans that are homeless served in Vietnam or Korea, and they’ve got trouble dealing with transitioning back into civilian life and dealing with guilt and forgiveness. “Our veterans are owed more than a blanket and a hot meal,” he said.
Mark Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, HUD, said they have developed programs specifically to deal with homeless veterans. Because homeless people face many challenges, there is a need to have many separate programs to deal with each specific issue. HUD just announced a 11.75% reduction in homelessness since 2005. This is the first time we’ve ever seen a reduction in homelessness, Johnston said. HUD had partnered with the VA and others to target the chronically homeless. HUD provided permanent housing, and this have provided a permanent solutions to thousands.
Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said their goal is to help veterans not only with benefits, but to help them find gainful employment and permanent housing. Benefits are very important, and they have expedited homeless veteran’s claims. We believe that it is important, he said, that veterans receive health care benefits which may or may not be contributing to their homelessness. There has been a significant reduction in homelessness, but funding is needed to ensure that the program continues and chronic homelessness be addressed.
Cheryl Beversdorf, President and CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, said veterans receive employment assistance, transitional housing, and counseling. Affordable housing is the number one unmet need amongst veterans, particularly those with chronic health problems. She requested Congress to provide supportive services to veterans, and help with funds made available so that there would be an increase in available housing made to low income veterans. When asked why so many veterans are homeless, she said PTSD is a significant issue, along with employment problems, health problems, and that so many things veterans have learned in the military are not transferable to civilian life.
Climate Change Legislation Should Be About More Than Climate, Senators Say
Climate change legislation is not just about curbing global warming, but also about jobs and America’s health, argued Senators during an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on Tuesday.
Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) argued that while the bill intends to clean up America’s carbon footprint and to create new jobs in the renewable energy sector, it will also kill approximately 2.5 million other jobs. Bond also said that government does not create “green jobs," but rather buys them with taxpayer subsidies.
“I think one of our prime tests in moving forward with energy legislation and environmental legislation is not just energy security for America, which is critically important, we need to do that.....but we also need to keep jobs and create jobs in America,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).
During his testimony, Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colo.) discussed Colorado’s relatively low unemployment rate of 7.6%, which is nearly two points below the national average. “The new energy economy is certainly part of the reason we’re in such relatively strong shape,” he said.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) suggested that the country’s health should be of the utmost concern. He said that while some argue farmers have the most to lose if the country imposes costs and rules to clean up the environment, families with children and grandchildren actually have the most to lose. Citing increased risks of respiratory diseases due to pollution, he stated “we’ve all got a price to pay here, the question is, are we going to continue with our heads buried in the sand?”