By STEVE KOBAK

Hour Staff Writer


U.S. Army veteran Samuel Lee Smalls knew that certain veterans' organizations could help him with his problems, but he died on the streets of Norwalk without ever reaching out to one of these groups, according to his sister.

Smalls, who was honorably discharged after serving four years in the U.S. Army, had a stubborn nature about him and it's hard to tell if veterans' programs would have worked, his sister, Louisa Smalls, said.

"They probably would've helped him if he would've reached out to them," she said. "We'd often mention it to him, but he never did anything about it."

The Hour's News Hound - More from the Homeless

Many former soldiers like Smalls have trouble adjusting to civilian life and wind up on the streets. Like Smalls, these veterans at first may not be accepting of help from the state and federal government, but various programs are heightening their efforts to reach out to the homeless veterans in Connecticut.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates that anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000 veterans are currently homeless in the state.

As more soldiers come home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the number of homeless veterans is expected to rise dramatically, and the need for outreach programs is on the rise.

The current economic environment paired with the stress and psychological trauma of combat heighten the susceptibility of veterans to homelessness, according to Laurie Harkness, the director of the Errera Center for the VA CT Healthcare system.

"With people returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, we're seeing younger and younger people become homeless," said Amanda LeClair, development director for Homes for the Brave, a nonprofit that provides safe housing and services for homeless veterans.

Harkness estimates that 650 new homeless veterans have taken advantage of the services offered by the state VA in the past year.

In the past six months, she has seen the number of new homeless vets in need of VA services rise from between 20 and 30 people to upwards of 60 people.

With new outreach efforts, these numbers are growing. Joy Kiss, executive director of Homes for the Brave, said a female Iraq war veteran conducts outreach in the Fairfield County area for the veterans.

Harkness said the VA has also hired Iraq War veterans to conduct outreach in the New Haven County area.

"There's no stronger bond than veteran-to-veteran," she said.

Bridgeport-based Homes for the Brave also plans on opening a home for homeless female veterans.

John Wiltse, deputy commissioner of the Rocky Hill Veteran's Home, said the veteran's home provides comprehensive briefings to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, detailing the services offered to veterans by his organization.

The veterans' home currently houses upwards of 380 homeless veterans who have been honorably discharged and provides 24-hour support services, such as health care and substance abuse recovery.

It also offers job-training courses and job-placement programs.

"We have veterans of all wars and ages living with us," Wiltse said.

Plugging veterans into the right social services can be tricky. Harkness said many veterans refrain from getting services from the VA because of the organization's connection with the federal government. However, the soldiers will reach out to state agencies, who will, in turn, try to ease them into accepting assistance from the VA, Harkness said.

"We don't leave anyone behind," she said.

Carole Antonetz, director of the Open Door Shelter, said each shelter client completes a comprehensive intake form that asks about their military history when they start living there.

Antonetz said not a lot of veterans pass through the doors of the shelter.

Former shelter resident Angel Flores, a Marine who did not see combat but served from 1980 to 1986, said he has yet to check on his benefit status and when he lived at the shelter, his case worker never informed him of any benefit associated with serving in the armed forces.

Flores said that, luckily, he hasn't needed the medical services from the VA.

"I'm the type of person that's been blessed by God," he said.

"Being a Marine is good like that. You stay healthy because of the exercise. It's hardcore but in the long run, it's good for yourself."