Homeless Vet Numbers Down Nationwide
Clarence Woods’ life was spiraling out of control. His mother died. His wife left him. He eventually wound up in jail, serving a 30-day sentence for driving with a suspended license. He would have no place to live when set free.“Everything kind of went down the tubes for a while. I kinda fell off a little bit,” recalled Woods, now 59, on a recent day. He was sitting outside the administrative offices at the Ocala Ritz Veterans Village, a hotel on Silver Springs Boulevard that now houses homeless military veterans like Woods, who served 12 years in the Army.
The Marion County native is one of 50 veterans who are off the street and allowed to live at the converted hotel rent free, if they have no income, for up to two years. During that time they are expected to address issues such as substance abuse and mental health, and either look for a job or continue their education.
Places like the Ritz, which gets federal financial assistance, are helping drive down the number of veterans who are homeless. The number has dropped 33 percent to just under 50,000 since 2010, according to the most recent federal count.
The number of homeless veterans living in Marion County has fallen nearly 17 percent since 2011, according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Point-in-Time Count.
In 2011 there were 1,032 homeless in Marion, of whom 144 were veterans. That fell to 530 homeless during 2013, of whom 120 were vets.
The veterans who remain homeless have gotten more help recently, according to HUD data. Of the 120 homeless vets in Marion County, 68 have some form of temporary shelter, such as the Salvation Army or the converted Ritz.
In 2011, nearly 85 percent of the 144 Marion County homeless vets were without shelter and living on the streets.
“It’s not a fluke in the numbers,” said Jay Melder, spokesman for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “You can see the trend.”
The reduction is the result of the federal government focusing on the problem and then funding the necessary fixes.
By 2010, a philosophical decision had been made. “We’re not going to manage homelessness,” Melder said. “We’re going to solve it.”
The goal is to end homelessness among vets by 2015.
The government’s primary change in strategy was pushing aside obstacles to putting homeless vets into homes, he said.
For example, in the past, homeless vets suffering from alcoholism or drug abuse had to address those issues before getting housing help. Melder said housing is now the top priority, since the current thinking is that personal demons can best be addressed when vets “have the stability of a home.”
To get veterans into more permanent housing, the government is now offering more vouchers, much like those associated with HUD Section 8 housing, Melder said.
On Wednesday, HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced nearly $5 million in rental vouchers would be provided to Florida’s local public housing agencies. The goal: Help at least 767 homeless veterans find permanent supportive housing.
In 2010, federal expenditures for homeless programs was $3.8 billion. In 2014 it was $5.1 billion. In 2015 the proposed spending is $5.7 billion.
The efforts could be paying off, according to HUD records. The numbers of homeless veterans nationally and in Florida spiked during the recession, but ever since has been trending down.
In 2007, the number of homeless vets nationally was 61,754. It peaked in 2011 at 67,494 and has since steadily declined to 49,933, according to HUD data.
In Florida, there were 5,841 homeless veterans in 2007. The number peaked in 2009 at 6,509. By 2013 it had fallen to 5,505.
A similar trend was seen in Florida for all homeless, with a 57,551 peak in 2010 and a decline to 47,862 in 2013, about the same level as in 2007.
Melder said local programs are coordinating with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which addresses veterans’ physical and mental health.
Some of that cooperation is on display at the Ritz, where the VA provides case management services, group counseling, nutritionists and substance abuse help. It also organizes primary care and mental health services for the clients.
The Ritz is owned by the nonprofit Volunteers of America of Florida, which owns at least 10 similar homeless shelters throughout Florida.
Dolly Rodriguez, health services manager, has operated the Ritz since it opened to veterans in 2012. She considers the Ritz a success and the federal government’s help paramount.
Federal money pays for much of the facility’s expenses, such as maintenance and utilities, she said. The facility also depends on private donations for things like furnishings.
Rodriguez agrees with the notions that the number of homeless vets is on the decline, and that federal spending is, in part, to thank. But she fears that when clients leave places like the Ritz, they might be vulnerable to falling right back into trouble.
“I think we need more permanent affordable housing they can transition into,” she said.
Without affordable housing, Rodriguez said, citing high Ocala rent levels, “that’s just recycling back to homelessness.
Jeffrey Askew, director of Marion County Veterans Services, said he isn’t convinced that the glowing report of fewer homeless veterans is accurate.
While homelessness among veterans may be down, it is “highly likely” many are going uncounted. Many live on the streets or in tent communities and have limited interaction with social service workers, Askew said.
Those coming to his agency for help typically ask for shelter, food and sometimes financial assistance with basic home costs such as utilities.
Askew said the homeless and hungry are typically referred to the Salvation Army, which sets beds aside for veterans, and to Brothers Keeper, which feeds the poor.
Dan Horton, executive director of the Marion County Homeless Council, warned that getting an accurate count of homeless vets is difficult, and it’s likely that many go undercounted.
“They often don’t fess up to it. Often they don’t trust you,” he said. “They often don’t trust the VA or the government.”
They occupy tent cities or go unsheltered altogether, shying away from people who are asking questions or taking a census.
“You have to know where to look,” Horton said, noting that homeless vets often are on the move.
Despite his doubts about the ability to accurately count homeless vets, Horton does agree that progress is being made to help them.
“I hope they (federal officials) have learned from the (Vietnam War) and take better care of our vets. We didn’t take such good care of our vets then,” he said.
Back at the Ritz, Woods is looking forward to a career in computers. He starts college class next semester. He also attends alcohol and substance abuse classes, even though he said he has no addiction issues.
Woods said all of the Ritz’s services, provided by the VA, are “part of the process” of getting better.
“This was a lifesaver and a place to go; a place to go where you can refocus your life and get back on track,” he said. “To me, it’s a godsend.
“But there are still a lot of vets out there,” Woods continued. “I still see a lot of vets on the highway and in tent cities. I don’t think they’re getting help. I don’t think they’re getting counted.
“For me, without (the help), I don’t know,” Woods said as fellow vets worked on computers in an adjacent room. “I’d probably still be spinning.”
Contact Fred Hiers at 867-4157 or [email protected].
Tags: Veterans News
