No veterans should ever be homeless

It’s within our means to bring an end to the phenomenon, Matthew Pearce and Yvan Blondin say.

Every November, poppies appear on lapels across the city as we remember the men and women of the Canadian military killed in conflicts around the world, as well as those who have served and continue to serve. Of those fortunate enough to return to civilian life, some transitioned with ease, and others with difficulty. Among those who struggled include veterans who have ended up on the street. We don’t think we need to underscore just how unacceptable it is that those who were ready to lay down their lives in the service of their country would become destitute and homeless. Two years ago, a study found that there are about 2,500 homeless veterans across Canada. As well, the Montreal Homeless Count in March 2015 found that six per cent of our city’s homeless reported being veterans, or roughly 180 men and women formerly of the Canadian Armed Forces. Galvanized by these statistics, the Old Brewery Mission began to take a closer look at the profile of those appearing at our doors. We found that about 45 veterans would seek our help annually, or approximately two per cent of those we serve. Determined to return these veterans to their rightful place in society, we created a new supported housing program, which we dubbed The Sentinels of the Street. We pitched this new concept to the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy and were awarded funding. The Quebec Veterans Foundation offered their partnership, funds and resources, and together we launched the project last year. Today, 16 formerly homeless veterans are safely housed in clean, affordable apartments. They benefit from regular visits by our counsellors. They receive a rent subsidy while they regain their autonomy. One Sentinel already is no longer dependent on our support. He has fully reintegrated into the community and has reunited with his family. A real success story. Prior to the Sentinels, the Old Brewery Mission had no specific expertise in this segment of the homeless population. Our learning curve was a steep one. We learned, for example, that most homeless veterans we were meeting had not actually found themselves in combat situations and so were more often struggling with reintegration and autonomy than with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We learned that most were tough cases. Severe drug and alcohol dependencies combined with mental health challenges were common. Most veterans who were homeless had become so only after a decade or so of difficulties and hardship. As a result, stable housing is not achieved simply by handing them the front-door key. Ongoing support is required for them to regain their autonomy. We also learned that many do not seek the services of shelters because of both shame and a desire to survive using the skills they had acquired in military training. To that end, Minister of Veterans Affairs Seamus O’Reagan announced here at the Old Brewery Mission last week a special funding envelope enabling our counsellors to go out to places where homeless veterans may congregate as we attempt to build trust and encourage them to enter the Sentinels program. Perhaps of the greatest importance, we learned that many of those who reported being a veteran were in fact not. A large number, roughly 60 per cent, were false claims. We were able to conclude that the Montreal Homeless count numbers were likely significantly overstated. There are perhaps only around 50 to 75 veterans who are homeless in Montreal. Now with the Sentinels, there are 16 fewer than last year. What does this tell us? That veteran homelessness is solvable. The numbers are manageable, and it is within our means to bring an end to the phenomenon and do so within a few years. If it is solvable in Montreal, it is solvable in Canada.

Ongoing support is required for them to regain their autonomy.