What Does It Mean To End Veteran Homelessness
Ending veteran homelessness does not mean no veteran will never experience homelessness, but rather should it occur our community has a comprehensive response to ensure that it is rare, brief and non-recurring. HUD dictates that in order to effectively end homelessness among veterans, we have identified all veterans experiencing homelessness and that our community provides shelter immediately to any veteran experiencing unsheltered homelessness who wants it. Our community must also provide service-intensive transitional housing only in limited instance and our community has the capacity to move veterans swiftly into permanent housing. To ensure homelessness is non-recurring, our community must have the resources, plans, partnerships and system capacity in place should any veterans become homeless or be at risk of homelessness in the future.
The Leading Causes Of Veteran Homelessness
6.Social isolation and lack of support are major risk factors among US vets
Research has shown that these two factors greatly increase the risk of vets going homeless. In general, veterans have low marriage and high divorce rates 1 out of 5 live alone. Without proper social support after discharge, the risk of going homeless is extremely high among vets.
NCBI
7.Veterans at greater risk of homelessness than non-veterans
A joint study between Yale University and the VA Connecticut Health Care System in 2015 found that veterans have a higher risk of going homeless than non-veterans. This disparity has declined a bit over time.
8.Veteran statistics point to substance abuse as a major factor for homelessness
Many studies have pointed the blame to substance abuse as one of the leading causes of vets being homeless. Not only that but its also a strong predictor of future homelessness, so to speak substance abuse includes both alcohol and drug abuse.
Psychology Today
9. Mental illness is yet another leading cause of despair among homeless vets
A large-scale VA study on the mental health of vets from 2012 revealed that mental disorders are common among homeless veterans. The VAs IG noted that mental illness is also a strong predictor of a vet going homeless after discharge from active duty. PTSD has been identified as the leading mental disorder among US vets. Anxiety closely follows suit.
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10. Lack of affordable housing is another major problem
City Lab
The Fundamental Principles Of Homeless Veterans Information
5 million veterans are thought to be at risk of becoming homeless. At-risk is defined as being in the lower tier of poverty or paying over 50% of the household income through the lease. Also, it includes households that have a person who is disabled or a person who lives on their own or who is not employed.
Veterans experience low marriage rates as well as high rates of divorce currently, one out of 5 veterans lives in a single household. Social media is especially crucial for those in need of assistance in a crisis or who require short-term help.
Around 50 percent of homeless veterans have a major mental disorder, and 70% have problems with addiction to drugs. 50 percent percent of homeless veterans have histories of involvement in law enforcement agencies. Veterans are more likely to be homeless and endure long-term, continuous homelessness.
About half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam period. The majority of them served for at least 3 years, while one-third of them were in a battle zone.
Because people who are homeless move from one location to another frequently, it is difficult to determine the number of homeless people within the United States accurately. However, if there is at least estimated that more than 50,000 veterans were homeless at any given night- or sleeping in shelters or on the streets, or in a temporary home , then it is our duty to try and change that number.
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Serious Mental Illness Traumatic Stress & Substance Use
- About 45% of homeless veterans experience mental illness
- 70% experience alcohol or other drug abuse problems
- Many experience bothx
As the number of female and male veterans1 returning from active duty grows, those who experience homelessness may suffer from combat-related trauma, military sexual trauma, and Traumatic Brain Injury in addition other traumatic stressors.
- Among veterans screened for TBI, over 80% had psychiatric diagnosesxi
- Compared to those who screened negative for TBI, those who screened positive2 also had PTSD three times more often and depression and substance use two times more oftenxii
- Data from 2007 show that one in five women veterans screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma, as compared to 1% of men veterans
- Among veterans who screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma, the likelihood of a mental health diagnosis was 2-3 times greaterxiii
Why Are There No Homeless In Japan
The population of the City of Tokyo is 14 million, with a homeless population of about 5,000. … Armed with this data, one of the reasons you very well may not see homeless people in Japan is because there are far fewer people left living on the streets in that country than is the case in the United States.
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Reasons For Homelessness In Veterans
After taking a look at the above US homeless veterans statistics, you probably want to know how we ended up here. How do so many men and women who served our great nation end up without a place to call home, other than park benches and shop doorways?
15. 252,170 veterans live beneath the poverty line
In 2018, an estimated 252,170 veterans earned income levels that put them below the poverty line. With numbers like those, it is no surprise to hear that many veterans become homeless.
16. 1.4 million veterans are at risk of homelessness due to a lack of support networks
1.4 million veterans are at risk of being homeless due to a lack of support networks. According to studies, 78% of veterans reported experiencing high levels of social support, which means that 22% of veterans feel they dont get enough help from networks.
17. 53% of employers feel veterans wont have successful careers after the military
A staggering 53% of employers feel veterans dont have successful careers after the military. Whether this is due to a lack of relevant experience, education, a misinformed idea of what veterans are like, or their portrayal in the media nobody is entirely sure.
18. 1 in 3 veterans are unaware of VA home loans
All too often, veterans cannot afford to pay the mortgage on their homes and consequently end up homeless. This is a huge shame because the VA offers loans specifically for veterans to become homeowners.
22. Unemployment rate of 3.2% among veterans
Who Are The Homeless Vets
12. 60,000 veterans are sleeping on the streets.
Unfortunately, the number of homeless veterans has been rising over the years and on any given night, around 60,000 veterans are sleeping on the streets due to homelessness. Veteran homelessness is a growing concern among US citizens.
13. 1.4 million veterans are at risk of homelessness.
Many ask, why do veterans end up homeless? A lack of healthy support networks, affordable housing, and increasing poverty are the reasons that put veterans at an increased risk of homelessness. It is because of these reasons that an estimated 1.4 million veterans are at risk of homelessness in the US.
14. VA to award more than $400 million in grants to end veteran homelessness.
The US Department of Veteran Affairs has taken the initiative to end veteran homelessness by awarding over $400 million in grants. Where this money will go and how itll help homeless vets are the first questions that concern most people.
15.The US Department of Veterans Affairs is granting more than $400 million under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program . The sum will be distributed to 266 non-profit organizations.
The VA announced that the sum of $400 million will go to 266 non-profit organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.
16. Housing advocates arent wondering whether the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will lead to an increase in homeless veterans, but rather how big the increase will be.
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A New Place For Veterans
Metro Phoenix soon will have new shelter and housing options for veterans.
In 2020, Phoenix provided $10.5 million of federal COVID-19 relief funds to purchase a new building for U.S. Vets. The organization had to end the lease at its current facility on Grand Avenue when its landlord more than doubled the rent.
The new facility will house more veterans and ensure another rent increase doesn’t push the organization out in the future. It will include 162 transitional housing beds and 30 affordable housing units.
“I’m beyond ecstatic to have a new home,” Jameson said.
She said U.S. Vets is nervous about the long-term impacts of increasing housing and rental prices in metro Phoenix. She said an apartment complex U.S. Vets used to recommend for veterans increased its monthly rent from $835 to $1,500 for a one-bedroom rental.
Jameson said the most important tool is prevention, and U.S. Vets and other organizations are prioritizing keeping veterans in housing.
“Once they’re evicted or homeless, it’s harder to get them back into housing,” she said.
U.S. Vets uses traditional housing programs like Rapid Re-Housing and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers to find permanent housing options for veterans, but it’s also experimenting with some new programs, Jameson said.
She said the organization is also trying a new initiative to connect veterans with roommates to bring down the cost of housing.
Being A Veteran Increases The Risk Of Becoming Homeless But Thats Changing
Historically, national policy failures have meant that veterans are more likely to experience homelessness. In 2019, 21 out of every 10,000 veterans were homeless. This number is only slightly higher than the overall homeless rate of 17 out of every 10,000 Americans. Increased focus on promoting Housing First, as well as increased federal funding for veteran homelessness, have helped to narrow the gap.
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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, had tripled to 36,443 from 2010 to 2015. According to the center, that figure is projected to rise about 9 percent more by 2025, to nearly 40,000.
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.
Homeless Veterans with custody of minor childrenA 2015 study by researchers with the VA Connecticut Health Care System and Yale University found that 30 percent of female and 9 percent of male homeless Veterans have children in their custody, raising concerns about the parenting environment for these children. Among Veterans with unstable housing, 45 percent of women and 18 percent of men had children in custody. Psychotic disorders were found in 11 percent of homeless Veterans with children in custody.
The study also found that men who went through military sexual trauma experienced higher rates of homelessness than women who had similar experiences.
Veteran Homelessness Per State
30. California has the highest estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness
Sunny California is sitting at the top of the list with nearly 11,000 veterans currently living without any shelter. The exact number in 2019 was 10,980, which is nearly 5 times more than the second state on the list. California also has the highest number of homeless people in the US per state.
Statista
31. Florida ranks second
The number of homeless veterans in Florida is significantly smaller than in California. In 2019, a total of 2,543 vets were counted by the authorities experiencing homelessness. Thats out of a total homeless population of just over 31,000 in Florida.
USICH
32. Texas, Washington, and Oregon follow suit
The number of vets experiencing homelessness is highest in California and Florida, with Texas coming right below them on the list. In 2019, a total of 1,806 veterans were homeless in Texas, with Washington and Oregon close behind .
Statista
33. New York and Colorado the last remaining states with over 1,000 US vets experiencing homelessness
Surprisingly, New York and Colorado are the only other states with a count of over 1,000 homeless people who have served in the Army.
Statista
34. North Dakota and Wyoming on the bottom of the list
Statista
35. North Dakota and Wyoming had the greatest decrease in homelessness among US veterans in 2018
The drop experienced in North Dakota was a massive 87.8%, far ahead of Wyoming , Kentucky , Delaware , and Washington .
Forbes
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Are We Ending Veteran Homelessness
In 2009, then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, in tandem with President Barack Obama, set forth the audacious goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015. Current VA Secretary Robert Wilke also supports this goal. To help secure commitments to this goal, in June 2014 First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Since its launch in 2014, the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness has helped 78 communities and three states to achieve this goal.
In January 2015, New Orleans became the first major city to announce that it had ended veteran homelessness. The success of SSVF, HUD-VASH, and other programs targeted to veterans, combined with the dedication and commitment of Americas communities prove that ending veteran homelessness is possible.
We Can End Homelessness For Veterans We Can End Homelessness For Everyone
In the years leading up to the pandemic, veteran homelessness was cut roughly in half, and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness has recognized 79 communities and 3 states as ending it .
Since Housing First and government investments have helped to produce such results, the combination can likely help any veterans driven into homelessness by COVID-19 and all other people experiencing homelessness.
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Homelessness Statistics By State
The map below shows state-level estimates of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, based on:
- Community point-in-time counts conducted on a given night in January 2020, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read the key findings.
- Children and youth who experienced homelessness at any point during the 2018-2019 school year, as reported by public schools to the U.S. Department of Education, and displayed on this map. Read the key findings.
New Ways To Reach Homeless Veterans
VA is conducting an ongoing project looking at ways to increase homeless Veterans’ access to care. The project, led by an NCHAV researcher, is looking at feasible, innovative solutions to the poor health outcomes of homeless Veterans by bridging the gaps that sometimes exist between them and their VA providers.
Peer mentors can play important roles in homeless Veterans’ livesIn 2017, researchers from VA’s Palo Alto Health Care System and NCHAV published the results a study in which 375 homeless Veterans were assigned either to a formerly homeless Veteran acting as a peer mentor or to usual care, in hopes the peer mentor would help the homeless Veteran increase the number of times he or she engaged with VA health care. The study showed no statistically significant difference in primary care visits between the two groups, but did find that some of the Veterans significantly engaged with the mentors assigned to them.
Another study from 2017 by the same team found that 83 percent of Veterans assigned a peer mentor felt they had benefited from the relationship. Those who benefited most had more peer visits, were more likely to be from a minority group, and were less likely to have PTSD.
These experiences may make homeless Veterans more likely to avoid mental health and substance use treatment, according to the research team. They conclude that homeless Veterans may need more specific services aimed at encouraging them to continue with primary care services.
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Homelessness And Opioid Addiction
Opioids are medications that relieve pain. Taken as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain safely and effectively. When abused, however, they can be dangerous. Even a single large dose can cause severe respiratory depression and death. Regular or longer-term use and abuse of opioids can lead to physical dependence, and in some cases addiction. VA medical centers nationwide have treatment programs for opioid addiction.
Homeless Veterans more likely to have opioid addictionA research team led by VA’s Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion and NCHAV found, in a study published in 2015, that 10.2 percent of the Veterans screened were homeless, and another 5.3 percent were at risk for homelessnessapproximately 10 times the rate of the general Veteran population accessing VA care.
Compared with male Veterans, women Veterans were less likely to report homelessness , but more likely to be at risk By age group, Veterans aged 18-34 and 45-54 years most frequently reported homelessness and Veterans aged 45-54 and 55-64 years were most frequently at risk
The team recommended that programs addressing Veteran homelessness engage with Veterans who are seeking treatment for addiction, and that the integration of homelessness services into addiction treatment settings may improve outcomes in both areas.
Key Facts About Homeless Veterans
In November, the nation takes a day off to honor its veterans. In recent years, the homeless services world has held these sentiments all year long: diligently working to secure permanent housing for everyone who has served our country.
Below are five key facts about these efforts, and the remaining barriers on the road to finally ending veterans homelessness in America.
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