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More must be done to help homeless Capital Region vets

    The Albany Housing Coalition has helped homeless veterans for 15 years. Now it is taking a pro-active approach and plans to assist struggling or wounded veterans before they become homeless.
    With the number of homeless veterans increasing, especially those from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with more women now making up the homeless ranks, the coalition is leading the way in helping to end the shocking blight of homeless veterans. It can only be hoped Schenectady will follow suit.
    There has been a national surge in the number of homeless veterans. According to Pete Dougherty, Veterans Administration director of homeless programs, many cases of homelessness are due to post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that can cause the veteran to relive his or her combat experience and suffer problems keeping jobs or families. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, since 9/11, 72,000 veterans are paying more than half of their income to rent, and this — plus the emotional and physical stresses — is putting these veterans at risk for homelessness. And 11 percent of these endangered vets are women.
    Under its new program, the coalition employs case managers who interview veterans for assessments and referrals. Many are sent to the Stratton VA Hospital. The coalition is also raising funds to hire a full-time veterans advocate, who would set up a peer support network for veterans at risk.
    In New York state, 21,000 veterans are homeless, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
    Hundreds are believed to be from the Capital Region.
    Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings is a supporter of these efforts and recently proclaimed July 19 as Homeless Veterans Day. Obviously these efforts to aid homeless veterans are essential, and hopefully, the new pro-active approach will begin to break the cycle of homelessness. So, why are there no similar programs in Schenectady?
    Much attention has been paid to local efforts to help the homeless. Bu there are no definitive figures on the number of homeless vets in Schenectady. And while it may be that I am just not fully informed, I have not heard of such innovative programs as those now being started in Albany.
    With an estimated 200,000 veterans homeless in our country, veterans who have fought for the freedoms we treasure, and with many veterans’ services found severely lacking, how can any of us, here or across the United States, look the other way when our brave male and female veterans suffer so?
    I hope anyone who is as shocked at this outrage as I am will contact the coalition to offer help or financial support. People can also contact Felix W. Ortiz, chairman of the state Assembly Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs in Albany.
    No matter what one’s opinion of the war, allowing one veteran to suffer from homelessness is a disgrace to country, heart and conscience.
    KATHERINE DELAIN
    Schenectady