Veteran Homelessness / Topics & Posted Articles

Trooper the phrase used by VAC and bureaucrats is "DOWNLOADING TO THE PROVINCES".

It is already happening with perishable daily living aids. The amount of perishable items is the amount the provincial health care system allows. Retirement homes take on vets and get the vet's monthly payment paid directly to the home.

Mental health plans will give veterans the same treatment to vets as the population. Hehr said it word for word about a year ago but he added "VAC does not want to step on the toes of the provincial mental health programs"

So the wellness centre's promised by Mr. SunnyWays is but a dead idea he will probably bring back up on the next election campaign!

Teen,

I think the Liberals have lost it big time with regard to promises, the ones that were implemented thus far were half measured, except of course for the re opening of the coffee shops. I'm still waiting for the biggest promise to be brought forward. Nothing against refugees, but the Liberals wasted no time getting that major promise completed. Perhaps it was because the refugee file put the Liberals on the global spotlight. Where as Veterans are left for the bureaucrats to take advantage of in keeping their long term interest and security in check. I think the wellness and homeless situation is being directed down to the provinces to tackle, another well planned maneuver by the Liberals. Bottom line for me is the Liberals seem to want to go where they can be in the spotlight, and differ substantively from the other parties, regardless of the logic or price tag that comes with it.

Wouldn't this idea be even better if JT kept his promise for Wellness Centre's?

Isn't getting homeless vets off the street part of being well? So yeah give the $8 million to this group JT and keep at least one of your damn promises you have made to veterans!

Prawnstar, while I do agree that it would be best if the GoC just ponied up the money, I cannot abide by insulting or ridiculing specific groups of Canadians, just because you do not agree with their lifestyle. There may be members who fall into that group, and they, and anyone else deserves the right to read this site, without feeling that they are being targeted, because of something the GoC does or doesn't do for Veterans. So please refrain from similar comments in the future. Thank you.

Why can't VAC or the GOC just do something right for a change and GIVE the MHI 8 million. Oh wait that wouldn't appropriate cause some he-she wants it's own bathroom. Why can't we get the same publicity as the LGBTQRSTUV community. Effen libtards.

see now that there brings a tear to my eyes

Canadian Military Family -  MIshall Rehman




The Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI), a federally incorporated charity providing housing to those that need it most, is currently laying the groundwork for its latest project: a one-of-a-kind housing facility for Ottawa’s homeless veterans.

To be built on the former CFB Rockcliffe Airbase Lands, the Veterans House will consist of 40 self-contained bachelor apartments.

But to build this dream, the MHI needs to first raise $8 million.

To raise these funds, amongst other fundraising events, the MHI hosted a fundraising concert on Sunday, April 30 in the Ottawa-area. The Capital Celtic Concert, by the RCMP Pipes, Drums, and Dancers of the National Capital Region, promised to be an afternoon filled with music and dance.

Partial proceeds went towards the Veterans House.

The Veterans House is specifically designed to house homeless and at-risk homeless veterans and would help them gain stable housing, recover from mental health ailments and addictions.

MHI Executive Director Suzanne Le first learned of the condition of homeless veterans at an event by Ottawa’s then-Deputy Mayor, Steve Desroches, in 2013. As fate would have it, not long after that, she attended another event sponsored by Canada Lands Corporation (CLC) to discuss a commemoration piece to recognize the former CFB Rockcliffe Airbase Lands. Instead of the typical statue or street naming, Le had something more significant in mind.

“I pitched him [head of CLC] the idea that instead of having a statue or naming a building, actually having a building on the former base that would commemorate the military history of the base by serving those military members in need now,” said Le.

The idea took root and developed from there.

Originally, the facility was to incorporate 16 units; but after researching the growing need and rise of homeless veterans in the nation’s capital, the number of units needed number bumped up to 40.

MHI has been working alongside organizations like Soldiers Helping Soldiers and Canadian Forces Morale and Wellness to develop a facility to address all of the needs of homeless veterans including a mental health care plan.

From her research, Le has learned that a community-centric approach to the Veterans House would be most suitable for veterans.

“What I learned was that military personnel have a very unit-oriented mentality. They fight in units, they work in units, they really look out for those in their unit. Some of the successes with housing homeless veterans in Toronto is when they were housed together. They seem to recover a lot better,” noted Le.

The Veterans House, therefore, will also include communal spaces.

From working on this project, Le has realized that many Canadians do not realize that there is such a large homeless veteran population in the country.

“It is kind of shocking, but there is, what I would refer to, as a social contract between Canadians and veterans and the military community. We have a social contract to take care of them. These men and women are going out and putting their lives on the line, and they're getting themselves injured protecting our freedmen and protecting Canadian ideals around the world. They're risking their life. And they come back here, and we’re not taking care of them,” stated Le.

Construction is expected to begin on the Veterans House project by spring 2018 latest.

To donate to the project, click link http://(http//www.multifaithhousing.ca/veterans-house.html

http://cmfmag.ca/latest_stories/former-cfb-rockcliffe-airbase-set-to-house-ottawas-homeless-veterans-2/#

Search for homeless veterans on P.E.I. part of Coast-to-Coast Tour

May 16, 2017


Eric Payne, vice president of Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada, leads a group of about 25 Islanders during a walk to raise awareness on the number of Canadian veterans who are either homeless or at-risk. A government study estimates at least 2,250 Canadian veterans use homeless shelters on a regular basis.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.EI. – Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada is hosting the second annual Coast-to-Coast Tour of Duty walk in communities across Canada on Saturday, June 10.

The Tour of Duty is a national event to raise awareness of veteran homelessness and to locate veterans on the streets or in shelters in need of help.

There will be a walk in Charlottetown on that day, beginning at 1 p.m.

VETS Canada is a national charity and service provider of Veterans Affair Canada. It says it has assisted more than 1,600 homeless and in-crisis veterans since 2010.

“At VETS Canada, we are boots on the ground; locating homeless veterans and getting them off the streets and back on their feet,” said a statement issued by the organization.

“The Tour of Duty allows us to locate veterans in crisis from coast to coast while also raising awareness of the issue of veteran homelessness,” Jim Lowther, VETS Canada co-founder, CEO and president. “We strive to build a better understanding of our mission within the larger community; that help is available. We are here to help.“

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/5/16/search-for-homeless-veterans-on-p-e-i--part-of-coast-to-coast-to.html

Bill Kaufmann - Calgary Herald April 27 2017



They were furiously spinning their wheels but making progress in vanquishing homelessness among Canada’s military veterans.

A group of Canadian Pacific staff and seven teams of competitors mounted stationary bikes at CP’s headquarters in the city’s southeast, spelling each other off to keep an unbroken chain of pedalling for 24 hours.

The teams seeking to accumulate the most kilometres consisted of Calgary and CP police, Canadian Army, Corps of Commissionaires, British military and city firefighters.

“It’s a brotherhood,” said Dave Howard, president of the Canadian Legacy Project (CLP) which is combating vet homelessness.

“We’re down here watching these guys sweating their butts off … they rode all Wednesday night.”

Their goal is to raise $60,000 for the CLP, though Howard said he expects the teams to exceed that by the time they finished the one-day marathon Thursday afternoon.

It’s funding that’ll support a new CLP transitional housing initiative.

While ecstatic about the event in which each team hopes to cover at least 1,000 km, Howard said the issue it’s seeking to tackle is a grim one.

Homelessness among the country’s military vets is growing two to three per cent a year and now numbers 2,500 nationwide, he said.

“And in Calgary, there are 160,” added Howard, though it’s difficult to reach a precise number. You’re dealing with very proud men and women and they don’t want to admit to being vets.”

Veterans on the street come from a host of military backgrounds, from peacetime and peacekeeping to combat rotations.

What they generally have in common is the affliction that’s put them there — post-traumatic stress disorder, said Howard.

“It takes four or five years before they really start to see the effects of post-traumatic stress and guys on the street start self-medicating,” he said. “They shun their families and the easiest thing for them is to live on the street.”



The CLP, he said, is set to unveil a program that’s meant to end the problem, but Howard wouldn’t divulge details.

For now, he praised CP for taking the initiative on the Spin For A Vet fundraiser.

“They approached us and are totally committed to the military community,” said Howard. “They’ve done all the work.”

The company has a lengthy tradition of supporting Canada’s military and the fundraiser’s a natural extension of that, said Scott MacDonald, CP’s senior vice-president of operations system.

“It is an honour and a privilege to support our Canadian veterans in their time of need as they so selflessly stood on guard for this great country,” said MacDonald.

Donations can be made by going to http://www.canadianlegacy.org/donate/and write SPIN FOR A VET in the comments.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/spin-for-a-veteran-aims-to-vanquish-homelessness-among-military-vets

More female veterans reporting homelessness, advocate says

VETS Canada says it has seen a huge jump in the number of female veterans using its services

CBC News Posted: Mar 03, 2017 8:50 AM PT Last Updated: Mar 03, 2017 8:50 AM PT


VETS Canada says it's seeing an increase in the number of female Canadian veterans who are seeking help to alleviate homelessness.

The number of female veterans seeking help to alleviate homelessness has increased dramatically over the past two years, according to a charity that helps homeless veterans.

Veteran Emergency Transition Services Canada, or VETS Canada, is a non-profit organization that helps Canadian veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness by connecting them to services.

It says the number of women accessing its services jumped from six per cent in 2015 to 16 per cent in 2016.

"They just keep coming forward," said Debbie Lowther, co-founder of VETS Canada. "We're expecting that number to rise."

The group is conducting a boots-on-the-ground homeless count in several Canadian cities on March 4 — in recognition of International Women's Day, which takes place on March 8 — to identify homeless female veterans.

Recently studied

The problem of veteran homelessness has only recently been formally documented.

A March 2015 study — believed to be the first of its kind in Canada — found around 2,250 former soldiers use shelters regularly across the country.

Lowther said many veterans fall into poverty or sickness when they return to Canada after service.

"When most Canadians think of a veteran, they think of someone who is elderly — a World War II or a Korean War veteran," Lowther said.

"They don't think of someone young who is in their 30s and 40s and they certainly don't think of female veterans."

Many vets survivors of sexual assault: advocate

Lowther said many of the female veterans her group has worked with are survivors of military sexual trauma.

A 2016 Statistics Canada survey found more than a quarter of all women in the military reported sexual assault at least once during their careers.

Lowther said increasing media attention on the issue has helped women who reported sexual assault to be more comfortable coming forward and seeking help.

However, she said survivors suffering PTSD from their military sexual assault often struggle to have their condition properly recognized and to receive disability benefits.

"It's a matter of having to prove the injuries are related. It's easier to prove something service-related if you were in Afghanistan and hit by an IED," she said.

In addition, she said female veterans often have complicating factors like fleeing domestic violence or being the primary caregiver of children.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/more-female-veterans-reporting-homelessness-advocate-says-1.4008308

Group Searching For Homeless Female Veterans

BY: IAN SHALAPATA 17 FEBRUARY 2017

(WINDSOR, ON) – In recognition of International Women’s Day, Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada will be holding a national awareness event on 4 March.

VETS Canada: In Her Boots will feature volunteer teams across the country walking the streets and visiting women’s/family shelters searching for homeless female veterans, providing donated comfort items to women and families in need, and raising awareness of female veteran homelessness.

“When we envision veterans, many of us think of men,” says Debbie Lowther, the co-founder of VETS Canada. “In reality, women make up a significant percentage of the veteran population, and an increasing number of the veterans we help are female.”

In 2015, 5% of the in-crisis veterans supported by VETS Canada were female. That number jumped to 16% in 2016. Many of the female veterans were single mothers struggling to make ends meet.

“We as a country need to recognize that female veteran homelessness is a significant issue, and that each and every one of us can play a role in helping homeless female and male veterans alike,” said Lowther.

VETS Canada has aided over 1,400 veterans in-crisis, at risk of homelessness, or living homeless since 2010. As the Veterans Affairs Canada service provider in the field of veteran homelessness and in-crisis outreach, VETS Canada’s volunteers provide aid and comfort to veterans in need, including endeavors such as moving veterans from the streets or shelters into affordable housing, securing food support and needed health care, navigating community services and resources, and helping facilitate re-entrance info the work force.

http://www.windsorsquare.ca/archives/2017/group-searching-for-homeless-female-veterans/99860

Volunteers stand on guard for homeless vets

FRAM DINSHAW STAFF REPORTER
Published February 7, 2017 - 8:24pm
Last Updated February 7, 2017 - 8:25pm


VETS Canada members walk in Halifax to draw attention to Veterens Emergency Transitions in 2016. The group is constantly searching the streets of Halifax for homeless veterans.

Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada is keeping an eye on one veteran they spotted atop the Salvation Army in Halifax last weekend.

VETS Canada found the person thanks to the 15 to 20 volunteers who braved freezing weather at the Boots on the Ground Walk last Saturday, actively searching the streets of Halifax for homeless veterans.

“We look for our own people. We know what to look for,” said Jim Lowther, VETS Canada’s founder and CEO/president.

He said that veterans leaving the military could easily spiral into crisis or homelessness if they cannot re-adjust to civilian life and sometimes are unaware of pensions and benefits that they may be entitled to.

For some veterans, pension payments can mean the difference between paying a monthly mortgage or losing their homes, which can uproot whole families.

Many veterans who lose their homes end up couch surfing with friends or relatives, while others who are homeless travel west to Vancouver, where the climate is warmer.

“It’s been going on probably since World War II. The thing is, they fall through the cracks. This is no different than the U.S. and the U.K. They (both) have homeless vets,” said Lowther of veterans’ difficulties.

More recently, Canada’s armed forces took part in peacekeeping operations during the 1990s in Bosnia and Croatia. Soon after that came 9/11, resulting in Canadian troops being deployed in Afghanistan to help the U.S.-led fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban from 2001 to 2014.

This has left more veterans in need of help and VETS Canada reaches them using 500 volunteers across Canada, including about 20 or so in Halifax.

Lowther said federal, provincial and municipal governments had to work with ordinary Canadians to help veterans in crisis, saying that Ottawa’s use of VETS Canada as a service provider was one such step.

“This is everyone’s responsibility,” said Lowther.

Joining VETS Canada’s walk last Saturday was Honorary Colonel Barb Stegemann and her partner Mike Velemirovich.

VETS Canada has helped more than 1,300 veterans in crisis, at risk of homelessness or living homeless since 2014.

As a Veterans Affairs Canada service provider, VETS Canada’s volunteers assist veterans in finding affordable housing and food, health care, navigating community services and resources and helping them transition into the workforce.

VETS Canada volunteers also hand out care packs of essential items to veterans they encounter on the streets, as well as connecting them with service providers.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1439857-volunteers-stand-on-guard-for-homeless-vets

By the numbers: Canada's federally organized homeless 'point-in-time' count

THE CANADIAN PRESS
Published January 26, 2017 - 6:14pm
Last Updated January 26, 2017 - 6:25pm

OTTAWA — The findings from the first federally organized point-in-time count of homeless people were released Thursday, revealing the depth of poverty in almost three dozen Canadian cities.

The count, a homeless census of sorts, identifies and gathers demographic information about everyone in a city who is experiencing homelessness in one 24-hour period. Some of the report's key findings, by the numbers:

32: Cities that took part in the count;

28: Participating cities that had never conducted a point-in-time count before;

0: Cities in Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories that took part;

5,954: People identified in "core" populations (shelters, transitional facilities or on the street);

5,373: Homeless people counted during a separate point-in-time survey in seven Alberta cities;

5,253: People enumerated in Toronto's point-in-time count in April 2013;

24: Percentage of people counted in the federal count in "unsheltered" locations (on the street, in parks or abandoned buildings);

47: Percentage of people counted in shelters;

56.7: Percentage of "chronically homeless" people (having spent more than six months homeless at the time of the federal count);

7: Percentage of homeless youth aged 16 to 20 who said they were abused by a parent or guardian;

86: Percentage of homeless families that comprised single parents with dependent children under age 17;

37: Per cent of respondents who identified as indigenous;

4: The percentage of the general Canadian population who identify as indigenous;

5: Percentage of respondents in the point-in-time count who said they were military veterans, twice the proportion of ex-soldiers in the general population;

2: Number of times recent female immigrants and refugees are as likely as non-newcomers to cite domestic abuse as the reason they are homeless.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1435891-by-the-numbers-canadas-federally-organized-homeless-point-in-time-count

More supports needed for homeless veterans, indigenous people: report

OTTAWA — The Canadian Press
Published Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 10:58AM EST
Last updated Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 11:01AM EST

New numbers are showing for the first time the depth of the homelessness problem in 28 small and medium-sized Canadian communities, and clarifying the picture in four larger cities.

The federal government has released highlights from the so-called “point-in-time” counts conducted in 32 cities last year, which found nearly 6,000 people living in shelters, on the street or in transitional facilities.

The count also found that indigenous people are over-represented in the homeless population, and shows that veterans are more likely to experience homelessness for longer stretches of time.

The report says those findings, along with information about the number of families and newcomers to Canada, point to a need for more targeted supports for these groups.

Homeless veterans made up nearly five per cent of those counted, and the data show respondents who identified as indigenous were nine times more likely to be homeless than non-indigenous.

Volunteers and local officials also found that four per cent of those counted were a recent immigrant or refugee to Canada, with females in this category more than twice as likely than non-immigrants to cite domestic abuse as a reason.

About 14 per cent said they were with family members, the majority of which were single parents with children.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/more-supports-needed-for-homeless-veterans-indigenous-people-report/article33771772/

Helping homeless veterans topic of Thunder Bay workshop

Finding housing should be the first step, says researcher Cheryl Forchuk

CBC News Posted: Jan 18, 2017 7:30 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 18, 2017 7:30 AM ET


Cheryl Forchuk is a university professor in nursing and psychiatry at Western University, and an assistant director at Lawson Health Research Institute, who has done research into homeless veterans in Canada.

Stakeholders in Thunder Bay, Ont. will get some advice on Wednesday, on how to help homeless military veterans.

Experts from London, Ont. will be in the city to lead a workshop at the Branch 5 Legion, and to share some of the lessons learned in a housing project that was designed to meet the unique needs of homeless veterans, and was piloted in four Canadian cities: London, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

The pilot project, which drew on research that included interviews with homeless veterans in Canada, proved a success, said Cheryl Forchuk, a university professor in nursing and psychiatry at Western University.

"When we did the four city demonstration project we only had one veteran return to homelessness, across all four sites," said Forchuk.

"So having a Canadian-based solution that has been tested, I think is really important for people to know about."

Housing-first model

The pilot projects adopted a housing-first approach, said Forchuk, meaning that housing is found before other issues, such as addiction, are tackled.

"Because you cannot get on with other aspects of your life when you are still living on the street," she said.

Her research revealed that homeless veterans in Canada, unlike those in the U.S., often looked back at military service as a positive period in their lives, said Forchuk, and tapping into that sense of purpose was also key.

"We very much link them into their sense of pride and history of being in the military," she said.

Forchuk said it's important for veterans services, which understand military experiences, and social agencies to work together to develop local strategies.

In 2016, a count conducted in Thunder Bay found that 13 veterans are homeless in the city.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/homeless-military-veterans-1.3940001