220 people in 95 days, the fastest rate in the country. >> my bed was over here in the corner. >> bruce james spent 14 months in a homeless shelter when they helped him finally get his social security. his mother came from california to help him pack. >> come on through here. it was a blessing. this is a blessing. i love the way you've come through. >> bruce will be in his own apartment soon. he's one of the 220 taken off the streets of new orleans. >> i can do i. i know it in my heart i can work and i'm going to work, you know. i just need somebody to give me a chance. >> for now, he's just happy for the chance to have a home. aljazeera, new orleans. >> several members of congress are push to go make the 13 victims of the fort hood shooting eligible for both military benefits and the purple heart. the so-called honoring the fort hood heroes act as a terrorist attack. right now, that rampage which killed 13 and injured 32 is labeled as workplace violence. that means the victims and their families are receiving reduced benefits. last month, nidal hasan was sentenced to die for his crimes. >> i

. >> reporter: it wasn't so long ago bruce james was living the life he always planned. >> aerospaceas my career. i worked on the space station and lab. >> it changed in an instant in 2008. >> potential customer was schizophrenic. he heard voices. he came in and opened fire on me and my co-worker. my like a dummy popped up to like and caught a .45 in the temple. i lost my eye. i have a titanium plate in my head to cover up the hole in my skull. >> reporter: the surgery saved has life, but bruce lost his job and pride. frustrated by the bureaucracy, he never could get social security, and his outlook on life faded with his sight. >> finding myself not being able to work was different for me. it was difficult. i had no where to go after that. i was homeless. >> reporter: bruce became a part of growing subculture of destitute people on the rise in cities across the country. it's a condition knowing as chronically homeless. >> the definition is that you have serious mental or physical disabilities, and you have been literally homeless, sleeping on the street, and third, you have to be do

bruce leshan at the washington navy yard where there's a real message of hope and healing from the counselors and survivors of the terror of the shootings here. >> at my desk shots fired. >> reporter: james slater hid in his office while aaron alexis prowled building 197 searching for more people to slaughter. >> i feel upset because i knew some of the people. >> reporter: the husband and father of two says at first he really did not want to talk to anyone about the terror, but he is glad he finally did. >> for me it feels like a second chance. >> reporter: scores of mental health pros have been staffing emergency assistance centers since the attack. they keep careful score and they say between military and civilian counselors they have handled almost 9,000 interactions. >> they're afraid if they talk about it, they'll start crying and won't be able to stop. >> reporter: bruce leshan, wusa9. >> today the d.c. fire and ems department recognized several of its own men and women for their acts of courage while responding to the navy yard shooting and awarded honors to more than 30 members and among them veterans of the department and also new recruits who responded and displayed courage und

bruce leshan had a chance to talk with some people that have fear nothing will ever be the same again and the mental health workers who helped them recover. >> at my desk shots fired. >> reporter: james slater hid in his office while aaron alexis prowled building 197 searching for more people to slaughter. >> i feel upset because i knew some of the people. >> reporter: the husband and father of two said at first he really did not want to talk to minimum about the terror, but he -- anyone about the terror, but he is glad he finally did. >> for me it feels like a chance. >> reporter: scores of mental health pros have been staffing emergency assistance centers since the attack. they keep careful score and they say between military and civilian counselors they have handled almost 9,000 interactions with people dealing with the aftermath. >> sometimes they're afraid to talk about it because they're afraid if they talk about it, they'll start crying and they won't be able to stop. >> reporter: much of the counseling is among groups of navy yard workers and just knowing other people are struggling with the same fear helps. >> they realize that they can start crying and they can stop crying