Washington (CNN) -- With a simple, declarative statement, the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs announced his ambitious goal to eradicate one of the country's most shameful problems. "My name is Shinseki, and I am here to end veteran homelessness," VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said Tuesday in a speech to the National Summit on Homeless Veterans. But Shinseki indicated the challenge in meeting his goal by adding, "I learned long ago there are never any absolutes in life, and a goal of zero homeless veterans sure sounds like an absolute." The plan unveiled by Shinseki includes trying to leverage existing education and jobs programs, boosting the ability of veteran-owned businesses to compete for federal contracts and spend an additional $3 billion on medical services and homeless programs.
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VA Secretary Eric Shinseki says, "I am here to end veteran homelessness"
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An estimated 131,000 veterans are homeless, according to the VA
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One observer worries Shinseki doesn't realize how "intractable" VA bureaucracy is
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Backlogs in veterans claims is cited as a major problem
But others were more pessimistic that @placeholder could change the VA bureaucracy.