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Poverty

Facts about Veterans

Veterans are Disproportionately Homeless

  • Nearly one in seven homeless adults are veterans, as of December 2011.
  • More than 67,000 homeless veterans were counted on a given January night in America last year. More than 4 in 10 homeless veterans were found unsheltered.
  • Almost half of homeless veterans were African American in 2008 despite the fact that only 11 percent of veterans overall are African American.
  • 1.5 million veterans are at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

Many Veterans have Trouble Finding Good Jobs

  • 30.2 percent of veterans ages 18 to 24 were unemployed according to unpublished 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
  • Nearly 1 in 10 veterans with disabilities were not employed in 2010.
  • According to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a 2007 survey showed that more than one-third of employers were unaware of protections they must provide to service members, and more than half spent less than 2 percent of their recruitment budget on military advertising and/or did not understand the qualifications of military service.
  • In that same survey more than half of all veterans were unsure of how to professionally network, and nearly three in four felt unprepared to negotiate salary and benefits and/or unable to effectively translate military skills.
  • More than 968,000 of veterans ages 18 to 64 had been in poverty in the past year in 2010.

The Safety Net Provides Veterans with Critical Food, Heat, and Health Assistance

  • More than 33,000 veterans were housed since 2009 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs in permanent, supportive housing with case managers and access to VA health care.
  • Through its Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, the Veterans Administration provided a wide range of career services, including counseling and training, to more than 116,000 veterans with service-connected disabilities in fiscal year 2011.
  • $31 million of SNAP/food stamps funding in 2008 was spent at military commissaries to help feed military members and their families who struggle against hunger.
  • A veteran lives in one in five households benefiting from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides heating and cooling assistance.
  • 1.2 million veterans used mental health services in 2010.

Idaho Specific Resources on Veterans

Research Resources

The New Generation of Homeless Veterans

Podcasts