One quarter of the homeless are veterans. Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States although they are only 11% of the general adult population according to a report released November 15, 2007.

Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help finding a job.

In West Virginia, 357, or 0.2 % of the state's 175,697 veterans were homeless in 2005.

Some advocates say such an early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.

Veteran advocates believe that with the spotlight on the plight of Iraq veterans, they hope more will be done to prevent homelessness and provide affordable housing to younger veterans while there's a window of opportunity.