Many veterans are homeless, which is a heartbreaking reality as thousands of people gathered to honour and remember those who have served and are still serving in the Canadian forces.
According to Homeless Hub, there are over 100 homeless veterans who reside in Metro Vancouver. According to a recent study, nearly 3,000 veterans nationwide do not have a permanent residence.
The study discovered that veterans’ struggles to adjust to civilian life after serving in the military are the main causes of homelessness.
According to us, everything begins with the crucial transition to civilian life phase after leaving the Department of National Defence and entering Veterans Affairs Canada. According to Scott Maxwell, executive director of Wounded Warriors Canada, “we know there are gaps in that process.
According to Maxwell, care and follow-ups must start as soon as the veteran is discharged from the military because prolonged gaps between appointments or check-ups can cause people to fall through the cracks.
He declared, “There is no one clear way, no one clear answer to the question.”
Maxwell claimed that when it comes to housing, food security, and affordability, veterans face the same problems as many other people.
He questioned, “What are we to expect if we can’t afford and don’t have the money to succeed?
“You can’t have this conversation about homelessness when there are 25,000 (veterans) waiting for a claim adjudication for benefits and financial rewards that they are entitled to and expect.”
Many veterans can be reluctant to seek help due to their desire to speak to someone who really understands what their specific needs are.
“Serving in the military, it’s not just a career, it’s a culture, so the men and women who served want to accept assistance from someone who understands their culture,” Debbie Lowther, co-founder of VETS Canada told Global News.
Even though there are more veteran support networks today, according to Lowther, they are still insufficient.
“I believe that once a veteran is released, we stop monitoring them unless they have ties to Veterans Affairs… Veterans Affairs does not provide assistance to those who do not have service-connected injuries in terms of benefits or financial awards, she continued.
As a result, after they are discharged from the military, those veterans are not tracked.
Lowther said she considers that to be a gap in care and service.
She said, “I think identifying those veterans who are struggling is part of the issue.
“I just don’t think we value the men and women who served as we should. ”.
More than 100 homeless veterans are living on Vancouver’s streets because “I don’t think we value them.”
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