In its 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that almost 33,000 Veterans were experiencing homelessness (including those living on the street or in a shelter, temporary safe haven, or any place unfit to reside in) during the last 10 days of 2024. Of those Veterans, 90 percent were men and 10 percent were women. These numbers stand in comparison to a total population of more than 17.6 million living Veterans and represent a 55 percent decline in Veteran homelessness between the years 2009–2023.
Across all veterans experiencing homelessness, about 49 percent identified as White (only), and 30 percent identified as Black, African American, or African (only). People who identified as Hispanic/Latina/e/o, of any race, were more likely to be experiencing unsheltered homelessness, making up 17 percent of unsheltered veterans compared to nine percent of sheltered veterans.
Why are Veterans Homeless?
Veterans become homeless due to a complex combination of economic hardships and service-related challenges. The most common root causes include untreated mental health conditions like PTSD, severe difficulty transitioning to civilian employment, lack of affordable housing, and substance abuse disorders used as coping mechanisms.
- Substance Abuse: Dependency on alcohol or drugs, often used to cope with chronic pain or mental health struggles.
- PTSD and Mental Health Issues: Untreated trauma and mental illness create significant barriers to maintaining stability.
- Low Income and Economic Instability: Difficulty translating military skills into sustainable civilian employment, as well as the rising cost of living and a severe lack of affordable housing.
Homelessness in Women Veterans
From 2016 to 2017, the number of homeless female Veterans increased by 7 percent, compared to 1 percent for their male counterparts. In a 2016 report, NCHAV found that the number of women identified by the program as being homeless, or who were at high risk for becoming homeless and accessed VA programs to end homelessness among female Veterans, tripled from 2010 to 2015.
Factors leading to homelessness among women Veterans appear to be much different than for men, specifically on issues related to adverse childhood experiences, military sexual trauma, and intimate partner violence. Women also tend to be homeless with children, which presents major challenges.
Veterans Administration Commitment
VA is committed to ending homelessness among Veterans. Their focus is threefold:
- Conducting coordinated outreach to proactively seek out Veterans in need of assistance.
- Connecting homeless and at-risk Veterans with housing solutions, health care, community employment services and other required supports.
- Collaborating with federal, state and local agencies; employers; housing providers, faith-based and community nonprofits; and others to expand employment and affordable housing options for Veterans exiting homelessness.
Resources
VHA offers many health care programs for homeless Veterans. The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program has been providing medical services to disadvantaged Veterans since the close of the Civil War.
VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans program offers examinations treatment, referrals, and case management services to homeless Veterans at more than 135 locations.
The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (1-877-4AID-VET) is staffed by trained responders providing support and resources to Veterans and their families who lack secure housing. Live chat with trained responders is available at the Veterans Crisis Line website.
In developing outreach programs to homeless Veterans, staff should remember:
- Every medical center has a homeless Veteran services coordinator who is responsible for providing outreach and services for homeless or at-risk Veterans
- All VA enrolled Veterans are entitled to VA payment of hospice care across all settings regardless of their service connection
