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Every year up to 2 million people are without homes in the United States; 10% of those people are homeless veterans (Triplett 1). That means that we have around 200,000 veterans walking the streets in need of medical attention, shelter, and food each day. So why is it that so many of the soldiers who have kept our country safe can't even keep roofs over their heads? After reviewing several resources, I've come to the conclusion that there are several reasons why these veterans are homeless. There is no one solution that can fix these problems, but a series of things that need to be done in order to help veterans, and those still serving.

One of the major reasons that so many veterans are homeless is that our government only prepared them for war. Once they are discharged from service, many veterans are unable to get jobs and settle into a civilian life style. Veterans were trained to be soldiers, and very little of that training is going to help them get a job when they return home. Instead of having a complicated program for education, which appears to disqualify as many soldiers as possible, it seems like it would much easier to pay a percentage of tuition for up to four years, after a soldier has completed their term of service. It's a shame that so many teens that sign up for the military just to help with college funds don't get them.

So many veterans have been denied the benefits promised to them, and that has helped push them into poverty. A G. I. Bill of Rights was enacted in 1944 to establish some benefits to soldiers; such as college funds, and discount rates for home loans. This bill helped many soldiers settle back into a normal life, but then in the 1950's many soldiers were denied benefits on the grounds of treason, sabotage, or mutiny (Triplett 10). The charges were found to be groundless, but the accused soldiers did not receive benefits (Triplett 10). This is only one incident of many that the government has used to get out of paying out benefits to soldiers. More laws need to go into place that protect veteran's benefits, and keep the government from restricting benefits on a whim.

Another factor is that many of the veterans suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, and several other illnesses ("NCHV" 1). A large percent of the population of homeless veterans are mentally unstable and unable to hold a job ("Background" 1). These veterans not only need medical attention, but housing that provides assisted living. The Department of Veterans

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