From Barracks to Tent Cities
Leading Ladies will partner once again with The Cabot on Wednesday, November 3 to present “The Unseen Struggle of Homeless Women Vets.“ The evening will include the screening of a short video about the crisis of homelessness among women veterans, followed by a discussion with experts who have served in the military and who work with these deserving women. Mark your calendars and be sure to join us at The Cabot in Beverly for this free event from 7 to 9 p.m.
Dear Leading Ladies,
The approach of Veterans Day on November 11 brings to mind images of politicians celebrating older male white soldiers and placing wreaths on the graves of those who have fallen. What we don’t often picture are women veterans and, specifically, homeless and hungry women veterans, struggling to survive in a world they fought to preserve.
This Veterans Day, Leading Ladies would like to correct another myth of history and expand the vision we all have of veterans who should both be celebrated and aided on this day and all days.
infographic Women Veterans: The Invisible Homeless
It turns out that female veterans are at least twice as likely to be homeless as non-veteran women, according to the Veterans Administration and reported by Social Work Today. Some think that is a conservative estimate. And women veterans are two to three times more likely to be homeless than any other group in the US adult population. With increasing numbers of women veterans re-entering civilian life, this is a growing and unacceptable reality.
Why are women veterans more likely to be homeless than their male counterparts? Those studying the problem point to many factors.
First, according to a survey by IAVA (Iran and Afghanistan Veterans of America), 38% of women veterans struggle financially. Maureen Casey, CEO of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, offers an even more distressing statistic: “About 67 percent of women veterans find their financial transition from the military difficult, compared to 47 percent of men; and more women vets experience ‘loss of income’ as a key transition challenge compared to male vets.” A majority of women vets are single parents negotiating bureaucracies, military and civilian, that still present significant barriers to housing and employment for this demographic. Their responsibilities for dependent children can create added financial stress and inability to afford housing.
Sexual Trauma Plagues Women Soldiers
Second, one in three female vets report having endured military sexual trauma (MST) which too often results in PTSD, a condition that can make holding a job and managing responsibilities difficult. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports, “Because those who experience personal violence, including rape, are 6.5 times more likely to experience homelessness, women veterans who have experienced MST are at a greater risk for experiencing homelessness, especially when compounded by PTSD.”
Third, many have health problems such as chronic urinary tract infections caused by lack of access to clean and sanitary conditions while serving and exacerbated by female physiology. Some have or have had drug problems and interactions with the criminal justice system when mental health intervention might be more appropriate and helpful. Women veterans are often wary about going to the VA for health care because of bad experiences while in the military. This leads to untreated mental and physical health problems that have an impact on employment and housing options.
One other aspect of the transition to civilian life that seems to affect women differently from men is the response of their community. Women vets report having difficulty finding civilian friends they can relate to, as well as employers who appreciate the leadership skills they have acquired. While male vets report some of the same challenges, they have a much larger peer group available to them, since women vets comprise about one-tenth of the total veterans in the US. The sense of isolation experienced by women vets can lead to depression and lack of motivation, especially if the situation is compounded by PTSD.
Are there solutions?
Clearly, the problem is many-sided and needs a solution that addresses all the factors. Writing in USA Today, Kaitlynne Hetrick, a government affairs associate at IAVA, states, the “VA needs to support female veterans and their families by expanding physical and mental health services, child care benefits, and safe housing opportunities for women veterans and their families.”
Thankfully, programs such as the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training (MCVET), a 24-hour service and residential housing facility began accommodating female veterans in 1997. But there are not enough of these programs and those that do exist are dependent on public and private funding which can vary from year to year. Others include the Institute for Veterans & Military Families; America Serves; Final Salute Inc.; and Foundation for Women Warriors.
What is needed first is recognition that the face of homelessness among veterans is often the face of a woman...the face of a mother...the face of a survivor of military sexual trauma. Then, we must take action—to prosecute sexual attacks in the military; to open doors for mothers with children in housing; to provide realistic financial benefits to pay for childcare and health care; and to make mental health support readily available for those with PTSD.
This Veterans Day, let’s honor the women who served in the barracks and may now be living in tents in our cities.
Let’s give them hope.
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org