Homelessness of veterans ranks as national disgrace

Throughout the Mahoning Valley and the nation on this federal holiday to honor America’s military veterans, parades will enliven streets, patriotic community events will evoke deep thanks, and salutes and handshakes will be in abundant supply everywhere.

Sadly and shamefully, however, come Thursday, much of that ceremonial good will and gratitude will be minimized or forgotten. So, too, will the bitter misfortunes that far too many of our proud ranks of retired military men and women must endure day in, day out.

Prime among those hardships is the embarrassingly high rate of chronic homelessness among the U.S. veteran population.

The dilemma is indeed stark. According to a 2014 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 50,000 veterans reported themselves as homeless, including more than 1,200 in Ohio.

U.S. citizens ought to be appalled at that data. America’s Marines, soldiers, pilots and others have protected their countrymen and women in some of this nation’s darkest hours on some of this world’s dankest battlefields. The least we can do as a grateful nation is to ensure that those valiant fighters are protected from the fiercest storms, snow and cold that Mother Nature can pound out.

OBAMA AND BROWN INITIATIVES

President Barack Obama recognizes as much in elevating homelessness among veterans to a priority plank in his 2015 Veterans Day Proclamation to the nation.

In it, he asserts, “Just as every veteran deserves the support and benefits they have earned, those who have given everything to defend our homeland deserve a place of their own to call home. To uphold this ideal, first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative has forged partnerships with local leaders across America to uphold the dignity of every veteran and work to end veterans’ homelessness.”

Joining Forces has set a goal of eliminating veteran homelessness by the end of the year. Unfortunately, more aggressive action is needed if we are to even come close to meeting that goal.

Toward that end, U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, has introduced legislation that offers many tangible provisions to ensure veterans need not want for safe and secure shelter.

The legislation, titled The Veterans Housing Stability Act of 2015, includes many noble components, including:

Providing grants for organizations that support formerly homeless veterans.

Encouraging landlords and offering incentives to them to rent to veterans.

Modifying a Department of Veterans Affairs program that sells homes from VA’s foreclosure inventory at a deep discount to nonprofit agencies that tackle veterans’ homelessness.

Expanding the definition of a “homeless veteran” to entitle them to more public-housing options.

Improving outreach to homeless veterans, including visits to homeless camps, such as that on the banks of the Mahoning River in downtown Youngstown.

The senior senator from Ohio offers a compelling rationale for the multi-pronged legislation: “It’s our responsibility to ensure that every veteran has a place to call home and an opportunity to succeed. ... Even one veteran on the street means we aren’t doing enough to tackle this problem.”

Unfortunately, Brown has fought vigorous battles throughout his congressional career to improve the lot of veterans, many of which have stalled in the do-little Congresses the American public has endured in recent years.

This public-spirited and desperately needed legislation must not be allowed to suffer a similar languishing fate.

After all, members of America’s armed forces have embodied the overarching qualities of honor, duty and country for more than two centuries now. Those loyalties have molded this nation’s soldiers into a prolific fighting force, keenly adept at securing freedom and fortifying freedom in our homeland and around the world.

As such, the least that all Americans can do is recommit themselves to duty, honor and country by working to reward this nation’s military heroes with the dignity, security and assistance they so richly have earned and deserve.