Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing challenges faced by veterans, has sounded the alarm over the alarming number of homeless veterans in the United States. CEO Jim Whaley, a retired Army Lt. Col., has emphasized the urgent need to end this crisis, stressing that "even one veteran experiencing homelessness is a tragedy."
On any given night, nearly 40,000 veterans are estimated to be homeless in the United States, a staggering number that constitutes approximately 13% of the nation's homeless population. Despite representing only 6.2% of the overall population, veterans are disproportionately affected by homelessness.
Ending Veteran Homelessness: Mission Roll Call CEO Calls for Urgent Action
Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit organization focused on veterans' well-being, has been at the forefront of addressing this crisis. Through surveys and research, Mission Roll Call has identified widespread concern among veterans about the lack of sufficient efforts to combat homelessness. In their latest poll, a resounding 90.75% of veterans responded negatively when asked if they believed enough was being done to address the issue.
CEO Jim Whaley, himself a retired Army Lt. Col., has expressed deep concern over the ongoing homeless epidemic among veterans. He emphasizes that thousands of veterans are experiencing homelessness at any given moment, and that this is an affront to a nation like ours. Whaley believes that support for veterans must begin early on, addressing underlying issues such as food insecurity among active duty military personnel.
Ending Veteran Homelessness: Mission Roll Call CEO Calls for Urgent Action
"One of the other challenges with homelessness is that if we start from the beginning, we would realize that 24% of active duty military now, I repeat that, 24%, nearly a quarter of all active duty military have food insecurity issues," Whaley said. "Now, that's not a statistic that MRC came up with. That's a statistic that comes out of the DoD report. Clearly, we're not paying active duty military, especially junior enlisted, the necessary salaries that they need to live and thrive. And that's an embarrassment."
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made efforts to address veteran homelessness, with over 46,000 veterans being housed in 2023. However, Mission Roll Call and other organizations continue to highlight the need to reach the most vulnerable veterans who may fall through the cracks of government assistance.
Ending Veteran Homelessness: Mission Roll Call CEO Calls for Urgent Action
Whaley underscores the necessity of a comprehensive approach that involves collaboration between government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the community. He emphasizes that "even one veteran experiencing homelessness is a tragedy" and calls for swift and decisive action to end this crisis once and for all.
The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans provides 24/7 assistance to veterans struggling with homelessness. Veterans or those who know someone experiencing homelessness can reach out at 877-424-3838.
