Up to 28% of the people homeless and living on the streets in Marion County on any given night are veterans. In addition to those living on the streets, an estimated 16 percent of shelter residents are veterans. Nationwide, one out of every three homeless males who is sleeping on the streets is a veteran. Homeless veterans served our country in World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, the Gulf War, the military's anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America, and the war in Iraq. Nationally, 47 percent served during the Vietnam era.

These homeless veterans have many obstacles to face. Forty-five percent have mental illness and, with considerable overlap, slightly more than 70 percent have alcohol and/or substance abuse problems. Many also suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Combined with a lack of family and social support networks, in addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness, veterans become at high risk for homelessness.