Fewer Alabama veterans are without homes this holiday season, according to a new report released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
According to HUD, Alabama is home to 373 homeless veterans. It’s a number that has dropped sharply from 2014, when 542 of the state’s former servicemen were without homes.
The new report signals that Alabama is among states with the fewest homeless veterans in the country. California, Florida, and New York, and Texas experience the highest rates of veteran homelessness.
Overall, veteran homelessness across the nation has fallen. HUD’s report says that 17 percent fewer veterans are affected than the year before. Since 2009, that number has dropped by 46 percent.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, veterans are more likely to experience homelessness than civilians.
“Veterans often experience difficulty returning to civilian life, particularly those without strong social support networks, and may not have skills that can be easily transferred to employment outside of the military,” the Alliance explains on their site. “Veterans face the same shortage of affordable housing options and living wage jobs as all Americans, and these factors—combined with the increased likelihood that veterans will exhibit symptoms of PTSD, substance abuse, or mental illness—can compound to put veterans at a greater risk of homelessness than the general population.”
Last year, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson was one local leader who accepted a Veterans Administration challenge to end homelessness in his town. In May last year, the city announced that it had achieved Functional Zero rating for homeless veterans in the area, thanks to a partnership with local charity Housing First. HUD confirmed the news in September of 2015.
Mobile was the first city of its size to effectively end veteran homelessness.
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