ICLC’s Homeless Veterans Project serves those who have served our country, especially those who have one or more disabilities as a result of their military service.  Working with pro bono attorneys from law firms or retired from active practice, we assist veterans to file new or reopened claims, or to appeal denials from the VA.  We help veterans receive monthly benefits, increased access to healthcare, and access to subsidized housing.  For veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, this can mean the stability and independent living that they need in order to receive regular treatment for their disabilities.

Our work focuses on the more difficult cases to prove, especially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Combat veterans from World War II through Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered psychological traumas that may require attorneys to establish legal entitlement.  The wars from Vietnam to the present continue to blur the lines between combat and support personnel.  The constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) place all servicemembers at constant risk, whether on base or travelling in convoys throughout these countries.  Hundreds of thousands of these veterans have suffered traumatic brain injuries and PTSD in these wars.

At the same time, more than 240,000 women have served since 9/11.  Though they don’t serve in the infantry or other traditional combat roles, combat has come to them.  In addition to risk or death or serious physical trauma, they face a high risk of Military Sexual Trauma (MST).  Estimates are that at least one-third of all female veterans will experience rape or attempted rape while on active duty.  The female attorneys at ICLC’s Homeless Veterans Project and the dozens of female pro bono attorneys who work with them specialize in helping these women find justice as well as financial support and self-reliance.

The staff of the Homeless Veterans Project conducts regular trainings at law firms that fulfill the VA’s mandatory 3-hour training requirement for attorneys who want to represent veterans.  Our clients come from veterans’ homeless shelters, PTSD clinics, and our outreach to public colleges.  Many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are enrolling in local community colleges, which they can afford on the G.I. Bill, working to integrate themselves back into civilian life.  We work with these young veterans to help them receive all that they are entitled to, and to help ensure that these veterans won’t become another “lost generation” as with some Vietnam veterans.

For more information about the project, available cases, and upcoming trainings, please contact:

Melissa Tyner, Staff Attorney, MTyner@innercitylaw.org