Quantity Over Quality

“We don’t need all that other stuff [you’re] trying to do, we just need to house these people." 
That's what Retired Lt. Col. Hope Jackson was told by the El Paso Veteran's Administration in her attempt to get funding for her homeless female veteran shelter. 

Texas has 8,500 female veterans without a home. Jackson contends the number could quadruple if  it included the veterans temporarily crashing at a friend or family member's home. 95% of military sex crimes are committed towards a female, causing complex emotional issues, including chances of PTSD increasing by a factor of nine. 

Overwhelmed by the number of homeless people and especially homeless veterans, Texas has chosen to focus on housing people instead of addressing overall issues. Quantity over quality wins funding, as is evident in Hope Jackson's case. The $137,000 grant from the El Paso Veteran's Administration went to Avalon Correctional Services, which houses more people and does amazing work, but doesn't provide the relational, specialized care that Jackson was hoping to offer. Texas is short on funds and ideas for helping its homelessness problem. 

Citing her faith in God, Lt. Col. Jackson still believes her shelter will open soon. You can donate to her work here.