Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced a plan Nov. 3 for his agency to combine assets with the departments of Defense, Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development to end homelessness among veterans within five years. Working in cooperation with local government and charitable agencies, the VA and its federal partners plan to target the causes of homelessness – substance abuse, depression, and lack of education. Presently, an estimated 131,000 veterans live on the streets, according to the VA.
