Monday, Mar 25 2013 3:01PM

Several funding obstacles make eradicating homelessness difficult for rural Oregon.

Homelessness among veterans remains a growing problem in rural Oregon, and the high demand for affordable housing assistance and social services exceeds supply, according to the Oregonian. There are roughly 1,356 homeless veterans in Oregon, but a new report shows that higher incidences appear in rural regions, the newspaper added.

Rachel Howard, a case manager and Department of Veterans Affairs contractor, said that a federal program designed to end homelessness among veterans by the end of 2015 funded 50,000 housing vouchers, the newspaper reports. However, in rural Klamath County, only 743 vouchers were allocated between 2008 and 2011. Howard notes that the county could have used between 25 and 50 more of these vouchers. 

"It can be heartbreaking," Howard told the news source. "I would love to give a voucher to everyone who calls me."

Further, the Oregonian noted that many veterans who are in need of housing assistance are afraid to speak out about the issue of veteran homelessness for fears of upsetting the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies that provide aid to individuals. As a result, many officials may be largely unaware of how pervasive the problem truly is. The rising rate of homelessness, coupled with spending cuts that may impact the budgets of housing and social services agencies, may make eradicating poverty more difficult in the future. 

For more information, check out this resource: The Oregonian