As more women serve in the military, more of them are finding it hard to adjust to civilian life when they come home. A recent government study estimated that the number of homeless women veterans more than doubled, to 3,328 from 1,380, between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal 2010.
That’s a small fraction of the total number of homeless veterans of 49,400, but the number of women has been rising faster. In the four years to fiscal 2010, it has surged 140 percent, according to the General Accounting Office. The total number of homeless veterans increased by 45 percent during the same period.
The study didn’t break down the numbers by state or region, but it said that almost two-thirds of the homeless women veterans were between 40 and 59 years old, and over a third had disabilities. Many had small children. For too many soldiers, men and now women, it’s a bleak homecoming.
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