In current times, the American dream seems to be: work your way up through a company until you drive an expensive car, own the newest iPhone, buy a $700,000 house, buy a second house by the beach or a lake, and take lavish vacations outside the country. It all seems so luxurious and rewarding.

But is it all necessary? Do people really need a house with separate rooms for entertainment, breakfast, lounging, and whatever else?

While some might say “yes,” we must also think about the homeless veterans in America. They did their duty and served our country with pride. Now they’re homeless, jobless, and struggling with PTSD. America did not return the favor.

As for the successful citizens of America, perhaps they could help return the service by spending less money on a lavish house and donating funds to housing veterans and helping them get their lives in order.

8 states had an average mortgage of $300,000 or more in the year 2011. Hawaii was the highest with an average mortgage of just over $660,000. There are some outliers in these statistics, as well. California takes the cake as an outlier.

The median home value in California is $535,100. MEDIAN. That means the exact middle. Celebrities in California pay millions of dollars for a house that they won’t even see every room of every day. Who needs that? I understand celebrities have exploited Americans for billions of dollars and claimed to have worked for every penny they’ve earned. And while they’re lounging about in a million-dollar house, an American veteran is sleeping in a dark alley the next town over.

Pennsylvania ranked 23^rd in 2011 with an average mortgage just shy of $200,000. While that’s still a lot of money, that’s nothing compared to the mansions in big cities across the country.

From my experience, a modest house with a couple bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom gave me plenty of space to live with my family. There is no need for dozens of rooms in thousands of square feet of a house.

We don’t necessarily need to build new houses for veterans. Apartment buildings, former hotels, even former schools can make great living quarters. Organizations take donations, find volunteers, renovate buildings so they can be lived in, and veterans have a place to stay. They’ll get a chance to clean up, get a few job interviews, and see a doctor for any needed PTSD treatment.

Habitat for Humanity, the Gary Sinise Foundation, Building Home for Heroes, Homes for our Troops, and the Wounded Hero Home Program – plus many others – all develop homes for veterans. There are different ways to contribute to these organizations. Most take monetary donations. In other cases, you can volunteer to build/renovate housing. You can build your own fundraising event for the benefit of the organization. You can run a race with proceeds going to the veterans. Or you can donate physical objects and supplies for use in building homes.

Instead of fluffing your own ego by buying the biggest house imaginable, do some good for the people who protected your country and give homeless veterans a place to live. They’ve earned a good life by protecting you. Return the favor and help them get their life in order!