States attempt to prepare for veteran influx
As the main withdraw from Iraq approaches, many states are facing a massive influx of new veterans returning home, some as early as the holidays. In October, President Obama announced that the United States’ military operations in Iraq would cease before the year’s end. The United States has been involved in ongoing military operations in Iraq since 2003. Local state officials are concerned over the potential for a rapid increase in demand of social services, and different states have varying levels of readiness to compensate for the influx of veterans. While states such as Massachusetts feel ready, with Secretary of Veterans’ Services Coleman Nee stating that “we can provide the benefits and the services. We’re set up for it,” many states with financial or other difficulties are not up to the task. In California, affordable veterans housing has not been met with much government success, and currently in Los Angeles there is an on-going struggle over a large housing campus which was vetted for veteran use, but remains empty.
As many as 40,000 troops could be returning home from Iraq. This large surge in returning veterans could push already overwhelmed state resources over their maximum, and with hundreds of thousands of veterans finding themselves homeless every night, the need for affordable veterans housing is going to continue to rise.
Despite Massachusetts’ level of readiness in social programs available for veterans, many states such as California are dependent on local charitable programs for affordable veterans housing. One such program is the Veterans Affordable Housing Program, which is a non-profit organization seeking to provide veterans with an affordable housing program, providing rent relief, down payment assistance, and more.
- State readies for influx of veterans as Iraq drawdown approaches – Matt Murphy, State House News Service [bostonherald.com]
Helping Veterans with the Veterans Affordable Housing Program…
Affordable Community Living is a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing low and moderate income families with quality, affordable housing since 1997 and now offers help to veterans and their families through it’s Veterans Assistance Program.
Learn more about our mission and how we aim to help America’s heroes.
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