I don't wish to play down the plight of the homeless but we need to be a bit careful with definitions in reporting/reading the reporting of this story. I was involved in 2000 with some of this work and so know a little bit of the background.
The impression given is that these are ex-Servicemen who leave and go straight onto the streets because there are no homes for them. This is rarely the case. Many of the homeless have Service backgrounds followed by perfectly normal lives in Civvy street before encountering whatever it was that made them homeless. To suggest it is their Service that lies at the root of their problems is misleading at best - it will be true for some but not for all.
What does seem a common thread is that those used to the camaraderie and somewhat protective nature of Service life are less able to cope when this is withdrawn - seems strange for such a self reliant bunch but it seems to be an underlying cause. Therefore what a number of ex-Service charities and housing associations try to do is replicate the mess environment.
Many Servicemen, individually or collectively, raise masses of money for various charities but I'm often surprised by how few of these are Service related. We could all do with supporting Service charities more while we're in. Worth a thought - one never knows when their help might come in handy.