Veterans Facing Unemployment and Foreclosures Await President's Address

NEW YORK – Today, in advance of tonight’s Presidential address, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the country’s first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, issued two new reports revealing the urgent economic challenges facing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. With the economic turmoil deepening in recent weeks and the President's speech expected to focus on the economy and the budget, the nation must be reminded that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are too often struggling.

"From rising unemployment to high foreclosure rates in military towns, everything that is hitting the average American is hitting veterans and their families harder. The reports we released today explain these distressing trends and propose tangible solutions," said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. "Many new veterans are hurting, and we are looking to the President for leadership. We remember his campaign promises to advocate for veterans-even when times are tough.  IAVA and our 125,000 members across the country will be listening closely to the President's speech to hear how he plans to address the long-term needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in these tough economic times."

The two new reports, Careers After Combat and Coming Home, illustrate the immense challenges facing returning veterans in today's environment. Careers After Combat outlines the troublingly high rates of unemployment among new veterans and the struggles of National Guardsmen and Reservists to keep their businesses afloat.  More than 40 percent of reservists lose income when they mobilize for a combat deployment.  Coming Home describes in detail how the housing crisis is affecting new veterans, and the flood of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are showing up in the nation's homeless shelters. About 8 percent of veterans serving since September 11, 2001 are paying more than half their income towards housing, placing them at a serious risk for homelessness.

The full reports can be found at http://iava.org/iava-in-washington/issue-reports.

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, please contact Chrissy Stevens at 212-982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.