Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, says many reasons veterans face homelessness are the same reasons anyone might: a drought of affordable housing, stagnant and insufficient wages, and the effects of “systemic and institutional racism and colonialism and all of the ‘isms’ that ail society today.” Veterans face a unique set of challenges that have historically made them a disproportionate number of the nation’s homeless population.Some veterans have flimsy community networks as a result of moving often during service, Monet says, or difficulties transitioning to the civilian job market with skills important to military service but not necessarily to most employers.“Other folks are dealing with trauma that they’ve experienced or that has been put upon them,” Monet says.Other folks are dealing with trauma that they’ve experienced or that has been put upon them.But if I’m being honest, we’re a little bit of a ways away from having the level of targeted solutions that I’d like to see.” On past goals to end veteran homelessness and what’s realistic “I’m struggling with that a little bit, because in my opinion, I think a realistic goal would be that every community has enough affordable housing and supportive services so that when a veteran falls into homelessness, they wouldn’t ever have to experience homelessness for more than a week."