By Nicole Ward, Data Journalist, Research & Innovation
Average reading time: 3 minutes
U&I’s Spread the Light program is one of the largest workforce development centers in the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) area. In the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration program, Lead Case Manager Lakeydra Houston, herself a veteran of 20 years, works with both visible and invisible disabilities to help veterans find work.
Veterans can have a hard time finding work while keeping their benefits.
“Some veterans can’t make over $2,000 and keep getting their military benefits, which might only be $400 or $500,” said Houston. “So, at best, that’s $2,500 they’re taking home each month, but oftentimes it’s a lot less. Between housing, groceries, gas to drive to a job – there’s nothing left.”
Nothing left for an emergency, nothing left to save. And saving money with less expensive housing can be riskier in other ways. For example, putting a veteran who has a history of substance abuse or mental health issues in an environment that isn’t conducive to a healthy lifestyle. She says that’s how so many veterans end up homeless.
“And those who have disabilities that impact their ability to work have it even worse. As a veteran you have to go to 15 to 20 appointments just to prove you have a disability. You can get denied at any point and then you have to start all over.”
A denial two or three months into the process could mean another two years before seeing any progress.
“I know people who have disabilities from the Vietnam War who are still waiting and fighting for their benefits.”
DFW lacks a dedicated space for veterans with disabilities.
Houston said a place for homeless veterans to go and get the comprehensive help they need is key.
“It would have mental health, medical services, affordable housing – everything onsite,” Houston said, but she admits it could take years to work out sustainable funding and support.
Currently, Houston speaks with clients in hospitals and nursing homes, making sure they get access to resources, as well as guiding them through the legal process and finding counseling.
U&I’s Spread the Light program also funds work-related training for veterans, like helping them to polish their interview skills. Houston also helps veterans find and apply to jobs.
Veterans’ futures depend on others’ support.
Houston said other people changing their mindsets would go a long way in improving the quality of life for thousands of people in Dallas.
“I would love to see people be more understanding in general, more empathetic… and not dismiss anyone with a disability because our normal is different from theirs.” Houston includes herself in the disability community—she suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2008. Like many brain injury survivors, she continues to learn how to optimize her brain and what circumstances may impact her ability to retain information.
Houston and her team talk to a minimum of 40 to 50 people each month who reach out to them. Counting trips to shelters and other outreach, that number is closer to 100. One hundred people each month with a range of disabilities and personal histories that are exacerbated by a society that wasn’t designed to support them.
Companies and organizations, however, can offer support and a sense of community to the veteran population through employment and employee resource groups. Offering flexible work arrangements, mentorship programming, and reskilling for veterans re-entering the workforce can also make workplaces more welcoming for the veteran population.
To learn more about how to make your business veteran-friendly, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s guide to hiring veterans.
For more on U&I Spread the Light, click here.