In the United States, there are approximately 131,000 veterans who can be found homeless on any given night. North Carolina is the home of 1,413 of those homeless veterans.  ("Homeless information North Carolina.") Even though that number may seem small in the eyes of some, to put the number into perspective, homeless veterans comprise about 15% of the homeless population in North Carolina and 10% of the homeless veteran population in the United States. ("Homeless Veterans.") Using this data, it is made clear that veterans in North Carolina are at a clear disadvantage once they have been discharged. Through conducting numerous interviews, analyzing several articles, and text, I have come to conclude that there are two major factors which contribute to the multitude of homeless veterans in North Carolina. The first major issue being the way the United States government has seen fit to reintroduce veterans into the civilian society and the second part being the quality of care provided to North Carolina veterans by Veterans Affairs; often called the VA. North Carolina should reform their policies about veterans and nip these problems in the bud to help benefit the lives of North Carolinas veterans. These reforms would also help the already homeless and prevent any other veteran from becoming homeless in the state of North Carolina. These reforms should be made to protect those who protected us. We owe it to those who currently serve and who have served.

Once the military discharges a person on active duty, no matter which branch that one served in, they are given a "life skills" class. This class provides skills such as learning how to fill out a resume and some go through the process of learning to control their anger.  An interview conducted with a veteran on March 25th, 2018, allowed for a deeper understanding of how minimal the skills to be attained in the class(s) truly are. It also showed how impactful the entire process of being discharged is. This process not only includes the class(s) but it also includes the immediate stop of housing payments, healthcare, and initial support. The former soldier stating, "Once you are out, you are out, the military stops paying for your housing and they do not help provide a foot in the door for the workforce that is ahead for us." (Anonymous, Phone interview, March 25th, 2018). This means that a veteran placed back into a civilian society is expected to know how to act in the new social context even though they have followed a strict hierarchy for at least four years of their life. They are expected to be placed back into society and be able to have a sustainable life with no assistance to begin with and nothing to fall back on. This puts our veterans at a major disadvantage of success after being discharged.

Due to the immediate stop of payment for housing and the minimal paycheck that the average veteran receives, it is not feasible for a single veteran to able to afford the cost of living in North Carolina. On average, the yearly cost for a single person to live in North Carolina is $14,532. This means that a veteran is required to come up with at least $1,211 a month. ("Cost of Living in North Carolina (NC).") Since the military stops paying for housing upon discharge and does not assist in "putting a foot in the door" with the workforce, it is hard for a veteran to come up with enough money for the cost of living in not only North Carolina, but in many other states such as Maryland or California. ("Cost of Living Data Series 2017 Annual Average.")  This means that becoming homeless is a significant risk in North Carolina even though it is one of the cheaper states to live in compared to the rest of the United States. In speaking to the same anonymous veteran that was mentioned earlier they said "I know the funding is limited, but if they can pay for it while you are enlisted and we get our minimal paycheck, then they could at least provide first and next month's rent for those who are just discharged. Most places require first and next month's rent and we can't do that with our small paycheck and somehow still actually live."

(Anonymous, phone Interview, March 25th, 2018.) This is absolutely tragic to hear a former soldier say. They served their country, risked their lives to save ours and now they truly cannot survive in the civilian life because of the price tag. One would think risking your life to serve your country would be held to a higher worth than it is. I believe that if we are to expect those men and women to give it all they have to protect us, then they should be able to expect to come home to welcoming and accepting arms and be able to live as a citizen again. They should not have to come home and have to be a poor street beggar.

Another obstacle veterans in North Carolina are having to face is being able to find employment. Some veterans are no longer able to work or have limited employment options due to physical or mental issues created by the acts that come with being in the military. Others' skills are not seen as valuable enough compared to those of the same age or with the same skill set. North Carolina needs to have an implementation that prioritizes a skilled veteran resume over someone of lesser skill. A veteran interviewee stated, "We are already trained to do these things and do them with precision and accuracy but many of us are overlooked due to a stereotype that has been formed because we served our country." (Anonymous, Personal interview, March 30th,2018") A statistic published by the Bureau of labor from 2016 states that only about 35% of discharged veterans were able to obtain employment within 3 months of being discharged. ("Employment Situation of Veterans Summary") These men and women are trained individuals that can offer a citizen's workforce a great amount of skill. Yet when many employers see the words "veteran" they jump to a crazy conclusion and stereotype that those who served cannot work. Many veterans who come back from serving desire a job or place of work so they can feel that they have a purpose again. However, if employers do not higher them they cannot find that purpose they desire and they are not able to make ends meet causing them to become homeless. I believe not only North Carolina but all 50 US states should take this into consideration and make a difference in the job force for veterans. A veteran has more skills than just being able to shoot a gun, despite what some may believe.

North Carolina's veterans' affairs are responsible for the health and well-being of the veterans in North Carolina. They are there to assess injuries, mental stability and even are supposed to help house the veterans who have found themselves without a shelter. Stated by an employee of a VA hospital in North Carolina "We are here to serve those who have served, by providing the best possible care for them medically and with the sustainability of life" (Anonymous, personal interview, 25th March 2018). Even though this statement was made during a personal interview with a person who works/worked for a VA in North Carolina, it is hard to find proof that this actually occurs. Throughout the year's numerous investigations have been conducted throughout several VA hospitals in North Carolina since the beginning of 1975. (VA Hospitals Investigation.) The most recent investigation taking place in 2014. Veterans affairs have been under investigation for a multitude of reasons. These reasons being the patient wait, appointment scheduling, price gauging, patient abuse, patient neglect and malpractice and criminal negligence. ("The United States, Congress, House"). If this is the quality of care that we are providing to the men and women who served our country then no wonder so many are homeless. If adequate medical care is not provided to the veterans then it also means that many are not receiving the proper medication they need and means that they are more likely to become homeless. These many reasons cause many to have to seek health care elsewhere, many of which cannot afford it because of their limited pay.
This outreach to different medical practices for assistance also has negative effects with receiving medication. These practices will provide the much-needed medication for the veteran, however, more often than not, the veteran cannot afford the medication and their other bills at the same time. This is caused by companies gauging medication prices and the government not wanting to pay for veterans' health benefits in any kind of way outside of the VA. ("United States, Congress, Sidath Viranga Panangala Specialist in Veterans Policy"). This stinginess that the US government has in place is something that North Carolina can deflect by providing a mandate for companies to charge a discounted rate for insurance for veterans. The most basic health insurances plan in North Carolina will cost a person an average of $164 a month or a rough $1900 a year. ("Cost of Living in North Carolina (NC)"). Since the office of Veterans Affairs will only pay for part of your appointment if you go to the VA hospital and many veterans have a low source of income, they are unable to afford outside medical care. However, if North Carolina could mandate a veterans discount for insurance companies it would make health care more affordable for the veteran who needs the care.

Though there are many issues about North Carolina and its homeless population there has been a recession of how many veterans are homeless as of 2015. In 2015 former Governor Pat McCrory initiated a program called NCGWG. This acronym stands for North Carolina governors working group. NCGWG was created in an effort to provide a better way of life for North Carolinas veterans, homeless and housed. The program is there to help veterans find housing, employment, medical care, education, know their benefits, and, help with managing a sustainable life. ("North Carolina Governor's Working Group [NCGWG].") This program has done many things to help the two key issues but has yet to resolve them quickly. The group's effort decreased the number of homeless veterans in North Carolina by one-third since 2014. NCGWG's government funding was cut when Governor Roy Cooper was elected in 2017. He did not issue a statement about the action; therefore, I can only assume that believed helping veterans wasn't very important at the time.

The way North Carolinians will help their veterans is by creating more funding, better programs, and reconstruct policies and procedures. These minimal acts would benefit North Carolinas veterans in numerous ways. For example, the funding for such programs like NCGWG would help provide housing, proper medical care, employment and a higher rate of men and women furthering their education. It is time to act in North Carolina and start getting veterans off the street. It is time to provide quality of care and create proper procedures so that those who served may have a quality of life after they are discharged. It is time to show that southern hospitality and welcome our soldier's home with open arms and a dependable way of life. That is the minimum that can be done for those who have risked their lives repeatedly to keep the United States the land of the free. The US National Anthem states "Land of the free and home of the brave". North Carolina needs to make that verse true and provide a sustainable home for the brave.