Homeless Veterans in Colorado
Continuing the fight back home.
This last weekend I was driving home from lunch with some friends when I saw a long line of people outside the Fort Collins Rescue Mission. As I drove by, an older man and woman who appeared to be in their late 70’s waiting in line caught my eye. The older man was dressed in what looked like ragged old Air Force Physical Training clothes and the woman he was with was wearing the same thing.
It got me thinking, imagine volunteering to serve your country to come back to a life you no longer know how to live, to a home that is no longer yours. To fight a different more complex battle at home, homelessness.
It is no surprise that Colorado has a large military presence with 6 military bases, including the United States Air Force Academy. We constantly hear about our military in the local Colorado news stations, however, we rarely hear about one of Colorado’s largest issues, Veteran homelessness.
According to a Denver Post article, in 2018 Colorado showed the nation’s largest spike of homeless veterans. In 2019 it was estimated that Colorado’s homeless population was 10,857. 1,068 were estimated to be veterans according to The United States Council on Homeless.
The homeless population is tricky to account for because most agencies count homelessness by the number of people in homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and transitional housing programs. However, a large number of homeless individuals aren’t in shelters or programs due to a lack of knowledge/resources, location, and other outside elements. We may never get an accurate number.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) estimates that 41.89 million Americans have fought in wars. Since 9/11, over 3.3 million men and women have served in the U.S. military and it is estimated that there are currently 1.4 million active-duty military service members.
So what is Colorado and its communities doing to help our homeless veterans?
Contact your local Veterans Affairs office. The VA can give you and your loved one guidance throughout the different state and national resources as well as non-profit that you or your loved one can qualify for. Some of the resources the VA can help you navigate are:
- Housing Resources: Building Homes for Heros, Home for Our Troops, Miltary Housing Assitance Fund, Operation Forever Free, Rebuilding Together
- Housing Assitance: A.C.T.S. Resource Center, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Samaritan House Veteran Program.
- Employment Assistance
- Foreclosure Assistance
Some homeless recourses for the city of Fort Collins are the Fort Collins Rescue Mission, Catholic Charities Northern, and Murphy Center for Hope.
Many homeless veterans may not have knowledge of these recourses or access to phones and technology. The best way to help homeless veterans and other civilians is to get involved in your local community homeless efforts. Educate your community on this issue.
VA has founded a National Call Center for Homeless Veterans to ensure that homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. If you or a veteran you know is struggling call 1–877–4AID-VET (87–424–3838) or visit their website at www.VA.gov/homeless/NationalCallCenter.asp .
*This story was created for a class assignment.
