Veterans Going Homeless in Tampa Increase

Number of homeless veterans in the area spikes
Tampa Tribune
By Keith Morelli
Tribune Staff
Published: May 11, 2014

TAMPA — The federal government has a stated goal of eliminating homelessness for veterans by 2015, and although that aim might never be attainable, significant progress has been made nationally. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development counted 57,849 homeless veterans in a single January night in 2013, an 8 percent decline from the previous year and a 24 percent decrease since 2009.

In the Tampa Bay area, the numbers are not so rosy. Instead of dropping, the number of homeless veterans is swelling significantly, according to a February survey of theHillsborough County homeless. The results showed a slight drop in the number of homeless — but a 47 percent bump in the number of homeless veterans and their families, from 170 last year to 250 this year.

Homeless veterans accounted for 11 percent of the homeless population in Hillsborough County, and the spike in their numbers wiped out substantial decreases among other demographics, the survey concluded.

The survey’s results are not surprising, homeless advocates said. They say more military veterans serving overseas are coming home as the drawdown in Afghanistan and elsewhere continues, and the Tampa Bay region is a place where a wide range of services, including veterans hospitals, is available.

“We will have over 250,000 veterans discharged into the state of Florida this year,” said Sara Romeo, executive director of Tampa Crossroads, which offers veterans assistance programs, including transitional and permanent housing options. “That’s a high number of discharges, or soldiers returning.’’
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