While only 8 percent of Americans can claim veteran status, 17 percent of our homeless population is made up of veterans. Ninety-six percent are single males from poor, disadvantaged communities. according to www.va.gov/homeless

Comparison studies conducted by Housing and Urban Development female veterans are two to three times more likely to be homeless than any other group in the US adult population.

Veterans between the ages of 18 and 30 are twice as likely as adults in the general population to be homeless, and the risk of homelessness increases significantly among young veterans who are poor.

Roughly 56 percent of all homeless veterans are African-American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 12.8 percent and 15.4 percent of the U.S. population respectively.

About 53 percent of individual homeless veterans have disabilities, compared with 41 percent of homeless non-veteran individuals.

Half suffer from mental illness; two-thirds suffer from substance abuse problems; and many from dual diagnosis which is defined as a person struggling with both mental illness and a substance abuse problem.