EDITORIAL: Fighting the good fight for our veterans

Dec. 21--As is too often the case with data regarding veterans, mixed news surrounding America's homeless veterans is both frustrating and disappointing.

Tracking homeless veterans is a difficult if not impossible job. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans admits "flawless counts are impossible to come by" for any homeless demographic, but the organization estimates there are nearly 40,000 homeless veterans any night. However, "over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness." That means as many as 80,000 men and women who selflessly represented their nation lack a bed at some point each year.

The coalition also estimates that while 7 percent of the general population are veterans, nearly 13 percent of the homeless adult population is comprised of veterans.

For a nation with America's resources, that is sad.

The good news is some progress is being made. According to Housing and Urban Development's Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, the number of homeless vets has been cut in half since 2009. Administrations at the state and federal level have made concerted efforts to reduce the number of veterans without permanent housing across the nation. Pennsylvania has found homes for 2,500 veterans over the past two years.

Last January, HUD counted 1,136 homeless veterans in Pennsylvania and 39,471 across the country. Only six states -- California, Florida, Texas, Washington, Oregon and Colorado -- have more homeless vets than Pennsylvania.

It's a start, a push in the right direction. Maintaining the momentum is now mission critical.

Those charged with completing this monumental and vital task understand that reaching "functional zero" is a difficult goal to accomplish. "This means having the programs and systems in place so that future homeless episodes will be rare, brief, and non-recurring," Joan Nissley, spokeswoman for the state Department of Veterans and Military Affairs said.

Accomplishing that means spending money, collaboration between veterans groups, nonprofits and like-minded organizations interested in helping the cause, and having lawmakers on board for the long-term.

It is a cause we can all support for people who have done so much already.

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