The Baltimore Station was proud to host U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, members of Maryland's congressional delegation and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake recently when Mr. Castro announced additional housing resources for homeless veterans ("HUD secretary, in Baltimore, announces more vouchers for homeless veterans," Dec. 8).
The fact that we have so many homeless people in our country remains a serious problem, but it is even more disgraceful when those individuals are veterans of our armed forces. We currently have 108 veterans in our program at The Baltimore Station, and the need for help is growing.
Homelessness is a symptom of larger problems in a person's life. It may be drugs, alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder or any other type of stress that pushes individuals out of their homes and onto the streets. Multiple interventions are necessary to provide such people with an opportunity to become valued members of society again.
Treatment is critical for veterans suffering from addiction and mental health issues. Maintaining community-based programs to assist these men and women when they seek help is critical to making homelessness rare and brief in our society.
The evidence is clear (and supported by research) that the best interventions are based on structured residential environments with peer support where the veteran is not isolated from the community. The length of treatment cannot be arbitrarily imposed but must depend on the individual.
At The Baltimore Station, our successful clients stay in the program for an average of 13 months. They work on recovery and putting their lives back in order, including their physical and mental health, finances, legal issues, education and employment.
I applaud Secretary Castro, HUD and our elected officials on their work to help get our veterans off of the street and for their support of The Baltimore Station. If we want to permanently end homelessness among veterans we must continue to ensure that the resources are available for effective interventions.
Michael Seipp, Baltimore
The writer is the executive director of The Baltimore Station, a therapeutic residential treatment program that assists homeless veterans.