Veteran Homelessness

The United States Veterans Affairs is a benefit system set in place to aid America's military veterans. Veterans may become eligible for VA benefits after they have been discharged from the services. Over recent years the VA has been heavily scrutinized as a failing system; leaving many veterans sick, homeless, and dying. In 2014 a scandal involving the Veterans Affairs broke the news; it was reported that up to 40 veterans had died while awaiting treatments or appointments up to a year or more out. These patients’ records were altered having their “deceased” status removed to hide how many people had died awaiting care. Other records were also falsified to show that the patient had already received care or the patient had denied care when they had really requested outside care. Multiple VA facilities were also found to have kept secret waiting lists and many veterans were probably never recorded in official reports. “The VA had for several years been the subject of congressional inquiry and criticism not just due to long waits for care, but because …show more content…
Because of the lack in providing timely care by the VA system, many veterans with mental issues, physical problems and substance abuse found themselves with nowhere to turn and would eventually end up homeless. The White House and the VA implemented a plan in 2010 that would work towards ending veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. “We’re not going to rest until every Veteran who has fought for America has a home in America.” — Present Barack Obama, August 2014. In order for this plan to be successful the veterans would need better access to healthcare, job training and other services to help gain better independence. Since 2010 there has been a 33% decrease in homelessness among vets (“Homeless