The National Alliance to End Homelessness says Missouri is fourth in the nation in percentage of its veterans who are homeless. The Alliance counted 4,800 homeless veterans in Missouri in 2005.
The reason is hard to determine, but the Alliance suggests the veterans are drawn here by the availability of blue-collar jobs as well as low housing and cost-of-living costs.
The Alliance says Louisiana, California, and the District of Columbia are the only areas with higher homeless veteran percentages than Missouri.
