Wichita ? A new report says the number of homeless veterans in Kansas grew slowly in recent years.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness says there were 712 homeless vets in Kansas in 2008, an increase from 689 in 2007 and 601 in 2006.

New estimates are that about 131,000 veterans were homeless across the country in 2008.

The new figures are based on reports from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities and local counts of the homeless.

The report says about 4 percent of those who sought care from the VA were veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and most are 35 to 54 years old.

Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a five-year goal of cutting the number of homeless vets.