Makeshift shelters in the woods are the only home many Canadian Armed Forces veterans have..Others live on the streets, in vehicles, couch-surf, or find temporary accommodation in shelters offering emergency refuge..“The Canadian government estimates there’s 5,000-plus homeless vets. We think the number is double that,” said Home For Heroes Foundation (HFHF) President and CEO David Howard..“Women are the fastest growing segment of veteran homelessness.”.Thousands of veterans have fallen under the radar because fear or pride prevents them from seeking help..“Within Manitoba — and actually in Alberta and BC— a lot of our vets are out living in the woods,” said Howard.. David HowardDavid Howard .These men and women were willing to sacrifice their lives protecting strangers in Afghanistan, Bosnia, and other war-ravaged countries the federal government ordered them into..Too many returned home changed by the atrocities they witnessed, suffering deeply wounded hearts, spirits, and minds, and physical injuries and unable to adapt to the lives they once had..“There are a lot of vets from peacekeeping missions that are suffering from watching people destroy their own people and that’s tough, tough, tough,” said Howard..“I would suggest 90% are dealing with some sort of a brain injury.”.Calgary-based HFHF recently announced plans to build a 20-home Kinsmen Veterans Village in Winnipeg..It will be modelled after villages housing mostly Afghanistan veterans in Calgary and Edmonton. Another village is planned for Kingston, ON..“We already have a waiting list for Winnipeg and it’s a year away from opening.”.More than 160 veterans “living rough or homeless” have been identified living in or around Winnipeg..The Kinsmen village will have 300-square foot barrack-style homes, a resource centre, onsite counsellors, and a recreation area..The tiny homes have all the comforts of larger homes..“There’s no laundry in the units but there’s laundry in the Resource Centre. We do that on purpose. We want our veterans integrating.”.The aim is to get veterans, most aged 25–55, functioning and back into the community..“Ideally the village is for vets that want to move on and reintegrate. We’re dealing with vets that want to better their position in life.”.“Certainly, we’ve had older tenants ... there’s not a real big interest to change. They would just rather have a home and stay there. We get a lot of referrals of vets that are 60–70 years old. We work with them to find them housing.”.Thirteen veterans “graduated” from the Calgary program..“They get back on their feet and reintegrate into civilian life work full-time, get permanent residency.”.“That was one of the big pieces when we did our research. They said we want to come in and get help. At the same time, they want to make sure there’s room for the next. [They're] very proud individuals.”.One 12-year veteran had been living in his car in Victoria..“It didn’t run, but he could turn it on for heat. We managed to get him into a home in Edmonton. He wanted to start working. In 30 days, we got him off the street, into a home, and working full-time.”.Howard admits all endings aren’t happy..“All of our tenants that come into the program aren’t going to be successful. There are some that just get to a path and don’t any want further support, don’t want any more advice. They’d rather go back.”.All tenants undergo a needs analysis..“If we have vets that are suffering with alcohol or drug addiction, we’ll hold a home for them and then they’ll go into a dry-out facility. Just knowing they have the home is key.”.As are programs for repairing family relations..“Within the villages we have a family suite for families of our tenants that want to come and stay and go through the healing program with our tenants. Along the journey, you see someone that’s been there six to eight months and they start to reconnect.”.The one-acre Winnipeg village on land donated by the city is named after the Winnipeg Kinsmen Club which gave $1 million for the project..Canadian Pacific and the provincial government each donated $500,000..Homes For Heroes Foundation works in partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), which committed $315,000..“We still need to raise a couple of million dollars. We’ve got commitments for probably more than half of that.”.“I’m blown away every day for the respect, admiration, and love Canadians have for those that served. We may not jump up and down like our American friends, but the support has been incredible, amazing. We couldn’t do it without the generous support of Canadians.”.As long as the Canadian military has been sent to war, veterans returned changed and broken..Howard recognized a need to help after seeing what serving in the Second World War did to his grandfather, navy Capt. John Struthers..“He was a suffering man. His family basically disowned him because of his actions. He did some things certainly I’m not proud of — he wasn’t proud of. He was abusive, unfortunately, to his kids, drank far too much, lost his wife, the whole family.”.He refused help..“I said ‘Why aren’t you going to the food bank and getting support?’ He said ‘Oh no, that’s for women and children.’ He would starve or sadly eat dog food before he would go to a food bank.”.“This is what we see currently. They won’t go for support to shelters or food banks because they’re proud. So, we’re doing these counts of homeless veteran and it’s not a very accurate snapshot of what’s happening.”.For more information go to the H4HF.ca website.
