Homeless Female Vets Struggle For Support

For many female soldiers returning from war, the future looks bleak.

According to NPR, the number of homeless female vets has doubled in the past 10 years. And for others, finding social services like health care, child care or psychological counseling has become a constant struggle.

Some women, like Army vet Cherish Cornish, bypass clinics associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs because they're not taken seriously as legitimate veterans by their male counterparts. Cornish said of the experiences since her return:

"The groups that they did have around the area were almost all men," she says. "And most of them did not believe that women were combat veterans. Most of them didn't believe women were veterans period -- that we don't serve that much of a purpose in the military. And definitely in a combat zone. They just assumed that we were paper pushers -- that we were far behind the lines. And that's not true."

As an alternative to VA clinics, female veterans are finding support through private nonprofits, like Father Bill's & MainSpring in Brockton, Mass., which provides temporary housing for homeless veterans.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that in San Francisco, there aren't enough women's clinics or housing options for female veterans with children. A female vet explained to the Chronicle:

"If we build appropriate housing, if we create female-specific health services and clinics, if we make accommodations for mothers and children -- perhaps female veterans would come for help."

Listen to further coverage of Cornish and other homeless female vets on NPR.

Comments

[landskroon]

06:13 PM on 12/18/2010

It should bring shame to the peope that sent you out to fight that wars. But, like the Viëtnam war and the other wars since 1945, there was no war with any risk to the USA. The wars since 1945 were all started by the USA for duifferent reasons but, none for defending USA soil. You should not ask the state to take care of you, you should go to Corporate America. They have organized the wars, at least 95 % of the wars in the last 110 years were on request off te Companies. Ask them to pay the price. Homeless Vets, shameless.

[Razpootin]

03:08 AM on 11/23/2010

There was a time when my gait was more lively and my hands more steady.
I was a striking figure in uniform which I wore and maintained spotless and with pride.
I was in charge of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and in my hands often were the lives of noble and brave soldiers.
I missed seeing my children grow up and observed many a Christmas in far away places with no Christmas trees or lights.
Now I'm perceived as a derelict because I smile with a toothless smile ( we have no dental benefits).
Most of my veteran comrades have a toothless smile; it is one of several things we have in common.
I don't need to be sedated so I will forget my troubles.
While I was not in a postion where I had to shoot somebody or be shot at; being in the medical field exposed me to things that I don't care to describe.
I just would like to have the opportunity to become independent and not live in the brink of homelessness.
Sorry, this is probably the wrong place for this.
Please pray to end the war; bring our men and women home safely.

[Razpootin]

02:50 AM on 11/23/2010

I'm in bad shape but I have comrades who are worse than I.
We try to help eachother but sometimes it just gets too difficult.
We are fighting a massive burocracy.
The VA wants to pump me full of drugs so I will not be depressed.
I will still be in the streets but I will be "happy" about it.

[Callah]

01:55 PM on 11/19/2010

Here's something interesting for all you veterans out there.
The HUD- VASH Program. It is a voucher program for homeless veterans. More than 10,000 vouchers have been allocated to public housing authorities across the country to provide supportive housing for homeless veterans.

HUD has allocates the vouchers to local public housing agencies across the country that are specifically targeted to homeless veterans based on a variety of factors, including the number of reported homeless veterans and the proximity to a Veterans Medical Center with the capacity to provide case management.

Unless you happen to live in the upper most northern part of California......
San Francisco and the Eureka VA Medical Centers can not find a person who is qualified to manage the HUD-VASH program for homeless veterans in Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties. The job required you have a MSW and have some clinical experience with veterans or the disadvantaged. The problem is, no one wants to live in Humboldt County.
Hey anyone out there who is unemployed and qualified for this job and don't mind cold and rain and fog, and want to live "Behind the Redwood Curtain" contact the VA Medical Center Social Work Program at Ft. Miley Med Center in SF and they just might HIRE YOU and you can be personally responsible for saving homeless Veterans in Northern California, just for getting a nice paying job! And we have the Biggest TREES in the World to look at..

[Razpootin]

02:54 AM on 11/23/2010

to participate in the VASH you need steady employment - I've only managed to do temp work and meneal jobs. I have both military and civilian educaton but I'm too old (60+) all jobs are going to younger people.
I had a recruiter tell me lately his clients are looking for veterans who separeted from the service recently - Desert Storm was too long ago.

[Callah]

10:30 AM on 11/23/2010

Have you applied for Social Security and Vet disability benefits? Rik is three years younger than you, and well...it took me nearly four years to get him approved for Social security but it only took four months for him to get some disability from the VA. You can apply on line. At least if you can get some disability benefits and you have someone to manage your local HUD-VASH Program, you have a shot at getting a place and a little something about $870. or so a month. Rik was Vietnam era. He says, "Good luck to you, Brother or Sister...I know how you feel.".

[SueMVetforObama2]

11:25 AM on 11/14/2010

Get the word out
 
Grants for Homeless VetsWeek of October 11, 2010
 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that 40 states will share more than $41.9 million in grants to community groups to provide 2,568 beds for homeless Veterans this year. The Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program provides grants and per diem payments to help public and nonprofit organizations establish and operate new supportive housing and service centers for homeless Veterans. For more information, visit VA's webpage for VA's National Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Office. Additionally, VA has a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans website and the 24-hour hotline at 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838) where trained counselors assist homeless veterans and their families.

[ontheverge76]

06:41 AM on 11/13/2010

Many (though not all) VA centers do have women's clinics. In Northern California, the Palo Alto VA system is excellent in it's outreach specifically to female vets. I have utilized VA systems in Augusta, Georgia, and in Palo Alto and Monterey California and have had nothing but excellent and caring service from the medical practitioners there, some of whom are themselves Reservists rotating through deployments themselves. Unfortunatelly not all VA branches are cut from the same cloth.

[Anoushah Alie]

05:13 PM on 11/12/2010

Sad!!They deserve top notch treatment!!Shame on our government,,,,

[AMJ889]

01:33 PM on 11/12/2010

My question is how do you comeback homeless? If she spent all her money while over seas whose fault is that? Im not sure what happened but I wish the best for her unless she went wild spending money... Then its her fault !

[justoverit333]

02:14 PM on 11/12/2010

Just because you're overseas doesn't mean don't have bills to pay.
ie, mortgage, car, etc. She came back to no jobs.

[Nebris]

03:12 PM on 11/12/2010

Extended tours cause all manner of financial problems for vets. When you're in a combat zone it's hard to keep track of stateside bills, and that's if the various venders play straight, which is more and more 'not' the case.

[Sans Octavian]

05:31 AM on 11/12/2010

It is the most immoral act committed by our government, by letting veterans go without homes or employment. They ought to come first, always.

[Tully Mars 63]

05:51 AM on 11/12/2010

They promise Vets all kinds of services when we sign up, once we get that DD-214 it long lines and confusing paperwork. It almost like they make it difficult intentionally.

[Razpootin]

02:17 AM on 11/23/2010

I am a veteran of Desert Storm; I have several disabilities and the VA has been making me jump through hoops and eventually stopped my disablility pension; now it will take an act of congress to restart it.
In the meantime I live on the margin of being homeless.

[amd02148]

05:48 PM on 11/11/2010

What kind of society do we live in where someone coming home from putting their life on the line for their country comes home and ends up homeless? The ultimate disgrace.

[CoopDscoop]

04:54 PM on 11/11/2010

! ! ! UPDATE ! ! ! Here is the link you’ll need: http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Retroactive_Stop_Loss_Pay_RSLSP.asp


~~ LET ME, FIRST, THANK ALL OUR VETS AND THEIR FAMILIES
FOR THEIR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE – HAPPY VETERAN’S DAY!

~~~~ “It’s your lucky day! ! There is FREE -U-N-C-L-A-I-M-E-D- MONEY in a Defense Dept.. FUND ! ! ! It’s reported to be more than $300,000,000.00 ! (This is not a Joke!) …

Now...

Hey!!! ...Just heard a VERY compelling interview... re: FREE Money in a Govt. Fund Unclaimed By Veterans! ! ! DEADLINE for APPLICATIONS? December 3, 2010 ! ! FREE!!

This came DIRECTLY from a Defense Dept. administrator who is in charge of the fund ! !

First...

I wonder if the (IAVA) is aware of this fund that was specifically set up to PAY vets $500. per tour of duty in ANY war! ! ! All they have to do is contact:

------------------ DEFENSE.com ----------- to get information and get the application!
http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Retroactive_Stop_Loss_Pay_RSLSP.asp
Perhaps, this would be a GREAT time to call a veteran! Have you kissed a vet, today?!

BE BLESSED!! :>) Coop

[Razpootin]

02:24 AM on 11/23/2010

this is not helpful but to those who were involuntarily ordered to stay beyond their ETS.
Nice try.

[DinNM]

03:41 PM on 11/11/2010

Female soldiers ARE veterans!! Don't believe me? Read the definition of "veteran" in 38 CFR which states that a veteran is ANYONE who served at ANYtime in ANY branch of service. It does NOT say one must be MALE to be a LEGAL veteran, or even that one must be a WAR (i.e. combat) veteran. These male VA a-holes apparently don't know their own rules!!

[Razpootin]

02:20 AM on 11/23/2010

this kind of treatment was used against other minorities in the past. The VA is just not prepated to handle female needs. It is a shame.
I have female comrades serving in Afhganistan now. I pray that they return alive and well and that they trully come to grateful nation that will not abandon them in their time of need.