Homelessness

According to VA, approximately one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the U.S. Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 131,000 veterans are homeless on any night and perhaps twice as many experience it at some point each year. Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing.

The American Legion takes this issue very seriously, coordinating a Homeless Veterans Task Force among its departments to augment veterans service providers and fill in the gaps where no assistance programs are available. Thirty-five departments have a Homeless Veterans Task Force chairman and an unemployment chairman; the pair coordinate activities with local posts within their departments to aid homeless veterans and prevent future homelessness among veterans.

jsharpe@legion.org
(202) 861-2700