One Tweak Needed in VA Homeless Tool

The Veterans Affairs Department has released a request for information for an "Eliminate Veteran Homelessness (EVH) Analytical Tool" to help identify factors that lead to living on the street.

Factors VA wants to crank into the tool include:

• Underemployment or unemployment;
• Medical or mental health crisis;
• Dislocation, including eviction and loss of social/family support;
• Inability to access affordable housing due to lack of income, inadequate supply of units, poor credit history, felony history and/or current legal problems;
• Inability of those discharged from the military to adjust to civilian life.

I served on the board of directors of Clean and Sober Streets -- which provides drug and alcohol rehab services for the homeless in Washington and has treated many a veteran -- for 15 years, and I suggest the VA needs to add drug and alcohol abuse to the list.

In fact, based on experience, they need to come first.