Veteran Homelessness: Examining the Values of Social Justice Guiding Policy

Abstract: Utilizing a social justice framework, a comparative analysis determined which social justice values and philosophies most effectively guide policies that address the social problem of veteran homelessness. First, we explore the United States’ policy approach addressing veterans who are homelessness across various historical eras. This is followed by an international comparison examining the current policies of Australia, the United Kingdom, and Italy in addressing homelessness among veterans. We found that policies among these countries are still anchored in a reality that no longer exists for them—that of mandatory service for all adult males. United States’ current policy is alone (among those studied) anchored in the existing reality of an all-volunteer force, enabling the country to adopt policies strongly guided by notions of a right to housing. It is such policies, primarily guided by the notion of rights, which effectively address the social problem of veteran homeless.