Finding Homes For America's Homeless Women Veterans And Their Children

Despite the growing number of women serving in the armed forces, female veterans are still less accepted on the home front.

American communities more readily accept -- and offer help to -- male service members.

Across the country, female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are facing unemployment, hunger, homelessness and continuing to suffer from physical and mental traumas sustained during their service.

According to the Associated Press,

More than 230,000 American women have fought in those recent wars and at least 120 have died doing so, yet the public still doesn't completely understand their contributions on the modern battlefield.

In California, one organization is helping female veterans, and their children, find a chance at a new life. U.S. Vets Initiative is opening housing for women veterans and their families.

Just a few programs across the nation offer targeted programs for female veterans.

Stephen Peck, President of U.S. Vets, spoke to CNN about some of the unique challenges facing females in the armed services:

"There is a shocking amount of sexual harassment and actual sexual assault going on. So a significant portion of them are coming back with sexual trauma and if that is layered on top of their PTSD, then that is a very complex case. And that woman cannot start her life until she addresses that."

For a handful of women, these new apartments and the other services provided by the nonprofit are a chance to begin to address what they have suffered in a system that too often fails to address their needs.

WATCH:

Supporters can help provide housing for female veterans by making a contribution to the United States Veterans Initiative.

Comments

[AlxAlxdr]

01:23 PM on 03/18/2011

"It seems tha rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up
You know it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
it ain't no hope for tha future" ~ 2pac

[my640]

04:14 AM on 03/06/2011

What is so frustrating & devastating is that when you report & request assistance when in the Army concerning sexual violent attacks, sexual badgering beyond your imagination to where your job and career is sabotage, you do not receive correct legal support within your own chain of cmd / legal. Your life is destroyed, you try to rise above each & every incident, but because of insecurities, that are corrupt, and not put on check - good old boy acts, lives are destroyed with irreversible conditions. Why? We do not deserve this hateful uncorrected acts!!

[JTWallace]

10:04 AM on 03/01/2011

Watching PBS programs of life on a Carrier out at sea for months and months, it's easy to see how mothers are caught up in a myriad of problems. First of all, why are they having babies when they know they will (or might) be shipped out? Why are they ALLOWED to be shipped out? Many of their spouses take the children and file for divorce. Many, at least according to the news, wind up homeless. Some fathers keep the memories of their mother always before the child by computer and e-mail. However, it's well-known many females use the military to pay for their kids and can't understand how they got into this mess. There is blame on both sides of the coin. Both sides have a job and females know this. The Navy is stuck with them whether single, married, with kids, divorces, money problems, drug counsling and anything else that arises out of naval problems.

[Apachee55]

08:48 PM on 02/28/2011

I am one I returned in a wheelchair. My own child said she wished I was dead instead of in a wheelchair.

[StephanieF24]

03:18 AM on 02/27/2011

The VASH program is housing first, meaning you do not need to complete any treatment or even be involved in any treatment before you get housed. It follows Maslow's hierarchy- housing food shelter, than you can work on other things like sobriety, mental health stability, jobs, etc.

[fec]

10:04 PM on 02/25/2011

based on what statistics do "communities" more readily accept and help male homeless veterans? this is not reality-based reporting. males are much more likely to be jailed for public drunkenness, loitering, etc., while ANY female has HUNDREDS of options for shelters since ALL of them are FOR women only, paid for by MEN'S tax dollars.

so 120 women have been killed in battle. well, so have 6000 young boys, but i guess that that 100 to 1 factoid displaying who REALLY deals with the realities of wars can just be ignored, right, because poor women are being ignored, even as there is barely a men's shelter in the entire USA versus dozens for women in any city and across the country; women are hardly EVER punitively treated for their bad behaviors as homeless veterans, even as males are simply thrown in jail, no matter what carnage they have seen. my three 20 something uncles were KILLED in the vietnam war because they were poor and couldn't escape a draft, while women TODAY still avoid ANY responsibility for the selective service as EVERY 18 year old boy is or face legal/awful sanctions while women breeze along, whining about every imaginable slight. force women to take on the SAME responsibilities as MEN are FORCED to do. they want it all their way, but avoid forced responsibility at any costs; usually and most vociferously the feminists who do the most whining about poor, poor women. give me a break.

[Julian09]

01:01 PM on 02/26/2011

Here we go again... arguing about who is more desperate. Shouldn't the effort be in getting more services for ALL veterans who serve our country? How about Huff Post helping by keeping OUR military personnel and what they're doing someplace on the front page on a regular basis. It's easy for those of us not serving to conveniently forget about what our men and women are going through in and out of the country. Recently in my town, a young vet who recently returned from two tours in Afghanistan shot his wife and then himself. He was on a waiting list to get services from the VA. We need to work together to help the men and women who sacrifice so much for us.

[traceymarie]

03:24 PM on 02/24/2011

The democratic party put forth a bill that would offer temporary housing for these vets and their children will they unwent job training....the repub/baggers shot it down

[StephanieF24]

03:14 AM on 02/27/2011

There is currently a program nationwide called HUD VASH- which is a partnership between the local housing and urban development (HUD) offices and VA Supportive housing. These contracts include PERMANENT housing solutions and case management. While this will not SOLVE homelessness among our veterans, it certainly helped. In Phoenix, this program has been running since around 2004. We have over 300 previously homeless veterans housed. Nation wide this program has housed over 20,000 veterans.

Unfortunately we rec'd the budget this year and the VASH budget was slashed about $75 million, which would have translated to approximately 10,000 new permanent supportive housing vouchers for homeless veterans.

[jmcaninch68]

11:35 AM on 02/24/2011

That this is even a topic for discussion is heartbreaking. Our veterans deserve our admiration, respect, and help. And as I scroll through the Homelessness page, I'm even more heartbroken. This is America's nightmare landscape.

Bring the troops home, tax the rich, slap Wall Street and Big Business: put the money into re-homing and feeding families; taking care of veterans, supporting medical research, education, the arts to nourish our souls, repairing the infrastructure; creating jobs, repairing the economy, and other important issues. No one should be homeless or hungry in this country--actually, on this planet. There is plenty for all--if we stop wars, greed, and indifference.

[plumbergirl]

09:50 AM on 02/24/2011

And bankers get bonuses along with tax brakes to invest their money. Investing their money back in the financial industry not communities. Equality spreads? We wonder who were we fighting for? Who will fight for us? President....Congress....do you hear us?

[starry girl]

01:57 AM on 02/24/2011

This is so wrong, on many levels...

[americaforme]

10:48 PM on 02/23/2011

Devastating, awful, painfull, demoralizing homelessness. Our hearts go out to you heroic ladys and your children. The pain of sleeping in your car, and not even having the money to breakfast at fast foods. When the top of the elite, couldn't care less. A real thanks they give you for fighting for their rich lives.

[robjh1]

05:24 PM on 02/23/2011

This is a real issue across the board but to deny women? Individuals who have served our country reduced to such treatment is unconscionable. Where does it end. This country doesn't value service. These are our heroes not Rap Stars and certain ball players.

[Red45]

04:20 PM on 02/23/2011

I have an empty bedroom in my house. Where can I find some of these American heroes?

[RightnotLeft]

07:07 PM on 02/23/2011

Go to the nearest shelter