Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes Project

March 9, 2010 - Integrating back into civilian life from the structured military lifestyle is often very complicated for female veterans. Yet it is this difficulty in transitioning between worlds that often puts most female veterans on the streets.  The situation is made even more difficult if that veteran has children, and many female veterans on the verge of homelessness are extremely reluctant to put their children in a shelter environment. 

Unfortunately, according to recent statistics on female veterans:

• Female veterans are becoming homeless faster than their male counterparts;
• Compared to females that have never served in the military, female veterans are 3.6 times more likely to become homeless.

There are approximately 200 - 300 homeless female veterans in Connecticut alone. An exact number is impossible to obtain because very few female veterans seek help. Out of the 124 beds set aside for veterans in the state, there are less than 10 designated specifically for women. As more women return from Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, more beds will be needed. Out of the estimated 1.8 million female veterans, Connecticut has over 15,000.

It is important that female veterans receive gender-specific services because of their different experiences in the military. As an answer to this demand, Applied Behavioral Rehabilitation Institute formed The Female Soldier: Forgotten Heroes Project. The goal of the program was to build the first Connecticut based transitional housing project for female veterans. This is the third housing program in the area run by this organization.

Currently the organization is waiting for approval from the local zoning board to alter an existing house into a new transitional women's housing facility. Perhaps most importantly, this new facility will include the ability to handle female veterans with children under the age of 2.

Should the conversion be approved, the female veterans will be able to access:

• Vocational training;
• Job placements;
• Life-skills coaching; and
• Case management.

This is the third attempt for the organization to find a suitable housing facility for transitional housing; previous efforts have been foiled by zoning issues. If everything goes according to plan, this facility will open July, 2011. Both the Mayor and U.S. Rep Jim Himes, D-Conn. Have pledged their support for this facility.