An Analysis of Veteran Homelessness in King County

Abstract

Veteran homelessness is an epidemic that exists all throughout America and while many politicians agree on the need for a solution, doing so is much more complicated than it sounds. This report examines many different existing models and programs to envision a solution for homeless veterans in King County. This includes breaking down an array of causes that create homelessness as well as those that perpetuate it. This research combined with a firsthand interview led to the qualitative coding of five key themes, those being: Seattle Culture, Financial barriers, the King County Veterans Seniors and Human Services levy being too big, Band Aid Fixes and the Rhode Island Model. The multitude of causes and the fact that the King County Veterans Seniors and Human Services Levy has existed for 20 years with minimal substantive progress expresses the need for amending existing policy. These being Fix the Seattle culture, Target the economic factors that keep people in homelessness, Target the Levy on Veterans, Work on band aid fixes and finally the Rhode Island Model.