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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, March 7, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 22, 2004 Veterans nationwide hit by hard times By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Nearly a quarter of the homeless in Jackson County are veterans, reflecting a national average. A survey of homeless people by the Jackson County Homeless Task Force in 2001 revealed that nearly 25 percent of the 880 homeless people were veterans. However, that 24-hour survey counted only those who checked in with agencies or groups that offer help to the homeless. About 23 percent of the homeless nationwide are veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Male veterans are 1.3 times more likely to be homeless than their non-veteran counterparts, the agency reports. For women veterans, the figure is 3.6 times higher than non-veteran women, it said. Advertisement But regardless whether they are veterans, people find themselves without a home for many reasons, said Connie Saldana, a task force member. She also works as a planner with Senior and Disability Services of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. Consider a survey taken last month by the task force asking local homeless people how they became homeless: 91 cited their drug and alcohol abuse. 81 said it was because they lost their job. 69 reported they couldn’t afford their rent. 40 were mentally ill. 34 left home because they were the victims of drug or alcohol abuse. 33 had criminal histories that led to their homelessness. 32 were victims of domestic violence. 24 had bad credit. "There is definitely a whole range of people who end up homeless," Saldana said. "Some of the mentally ill prefer to be homeless. That makes it hard for them to take advantage of the resources that are available." The task force has a list of 51 local agencies or groups that offer help for those living on the streets. But that safety net is only for short-term solutions, she said. "The real problem is long-term housing," she said. "We have an extremely high cost of housing relative to the wages for the working poor." The local Salvation Army chapter and the Inner Faith Care Community of Jackson County last month applied for federal grants to help the homeless make the transition from the street to a home, she said. That would include providing them with job skills, she said. "If we were to get those grants, we could provide a lot more services for the homeless," she said. The number of homeless in the county has increased from 692 in 1998 to 880 in 2001, the last count available, she said. "It’s been increasing a little but I think we’re about to see it increase a lot more," she said. General assistance funding for people who have applied for Social Security benefits but not yet received them is gone, she said. Individuals receiving the funding had been getting $317 a month, she said. "When you have no income, you have no home," she said. Homeless advocate John Statler of Medford, who was homeless on and off for two decades, is also concerned that the local ranks of people on the street are growing. "My best guess is that there are now over 2,000 homeless people in the county," he said, noting he sees no signs the local economy is improving to reduce the number. "The longer you are homeless, the harder it is to get out," he said. Being homeless can mean anything from having no permanent shelter, such as staying with friends, to sleeping in cars or in the woods, he explained. As a result, getting an accurate count is difficult, he said. Statler is among homeless advocates working for the past 14 years to establish a legal campground for the homeless population. "It’s been a long process to get people to think it’s OK," he said, noting there had been initial reluctance in the safety-net community at first. "Right now, we need a piece of land," he said. "We’re aiming at some small campgrounds with showers and toilets." That acreage should also include an area for washers and clothes dryers, he said. "If the economy keeps going the way it is, we’ll have campgrounds (for homeless) in five years like we did in the Great Depression," he said. "That’s a cinch." Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times