Why Veteran Homelessness is an issue and how has it been addressed?

November 3, 2021

Updated Sep 24, 2024

Veterans are critical to the safety of our country, yet we have struggled as a whole to provide the services they need to regain their physical and mental health after serving in combat. Veterans make up 7% of the US homeless population, even though they only represent 6% of the total US population. While the rates of homelessness in the United States were decreasing, there was a slight increase of 7% in 2023 from the previous year.

While it can be difficult to view these numbers, it’s important to understand the issues behind veterans and homelessness. We cannot solve the problem until we understand it fully. In this article, we’re going to unpack the issue and outline services available through case management to try to understand how to do better moving forward.

If you’re a Veteran and need help, you can get support through the Code of Support Foundation and the Veteran Crisis Hotline.

Facts About Homeless Veterans

To obtain a bird’s eye view of the issue, here are some relevant homeless veteran statistics from the past few years.

Based on a study on a single night in January 2023, 35,574 veterans experienced homelessness.
98% of Veterans experience homelessness as an individual, with 30% of those experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness.
30% of Veterans have a service-related disability that requires transportation assistance. This can make it more difficult to find stable employment, which can lead to homelessness.

However, there is hope on the horizon. Here are some promising statistics from the progress update of the VA’s Fiscal Year 2024 Homelessness Goals. The VA set a goal to house 41,000 homeless veterans in 2024 by placing them in permanent housing.

38,873 Veterans have been permanently housed, so 94.8% of the entire goal.
Out of those veterans, 96.7% have remained in housing.
The VA has engaged with 34,956 homeless veterans, reaching 87.4% of the annual goal for 2024.

Why Are So Many Veterans Homeless?

There are a myriad of causes of veteran homelessness. One of the most common reasons veterans become homeless is mental health challenges–but PTSD is not the main one. A study by NCHAV found that veterans’ mental health and housing greatly improved when they accessed free legal services in a VA facility.

However, it can be difficult for veterans to access this care. Nearly half of all veterans are unaffiliated with the VA or any veterans service organization. Even those that can often face wait times of longer than two months. The gap in care means that veterans may not be able to access the services they need in time before becoming homeless.

Unfortunately, another issue for veterans is opioid abuse. Homelessness and addiction among veterans often go hand in hand. In a study published in 2015, 10.2% of the veterans screened for medication-assisted treatment were homeless and another 5.3% were at risk of being so.

How Do Veterans End Up Homeless?

While mental health and addiction play a role in the homeless crisis for veterans, socioeconomic issues play a role as well. Veterans often struggle with the transition from active duty to civilian life. Only one in four veterans have jobs lined up after leaving the military. This can be challenging due to the lack of transferable skills. What veterans learned in military training doesn’t easily apply to civilian jobs. Veterans need access to workforce development to learn new trades and appeal to potential employers.

An additional problem for veteran homelessness is increasing housing costs. From 2020 to 2024, the average cost of rent in the United States went up by nearly 25%. Yet in that same timeframe, the average median household income has still not reached what it was in 2019. This income disparity causes hundreds of people to become homeless every night across the US. Any veterans looking for housing options should look through PlanStreet’s comprehensive list of VA programs.

What Has Been Done On The Government Level?

Though it looks bleak, it should be noted that the nation has made great strides in reducing homelessness among veterans. The federal government has made substantial financial commitments to address homelessness, including:

A $418 million increase for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants account, marking two consecutive years of $400 million+ increases.
Over $3.5 billion in competitive funding announced by HUD for homeless services and housing programs.
Continued support for the HUD-VASH program, which has housed over 114,000 veterans since 2008.
An effort to increase available affordable housing, with $45 million set aside for new incremental vouchers for veterans, youth, and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
A continuation of the Housing First approach, which prioritizes placing individuals directly into permanent housing.

These new and improved strategies from the government are actually working–as of November 2022, 83 communities and the entire states of Connecticut, Delaware, and Virginia have effectively ended homelessness among veterans.

What Services Do Veterans Need?

The best solution for veterans struggling with homelessness is to receive case management services through the VA or a nonprofit. There, a caseworker can guide them through the process and match them with the specific services needed for their situation. When considering veteran case management, the following services are often required:

Housing assistance: Homeless veterans need to secure safe housing in a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol. HUD-VASH offers housing vouchers and case management, and transitional housing offers camaraderie with other veterans.
Healthcare services: Access to physical health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and community health resources are key to properly transitioning back into society.
Employment support: Veterans need workforce development solutions such as job assessment and training, placement assistance, and programs to transfer their skills into open positions.
Social support: Veterans need to know that they’re not alone. Places like the VA and other non-profits offer support groups, places to grow their social network, and peer support.
Legal assistance: Many veterans need legal help to solve the issues related to their homelessness, including eviction defense, landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosure prevention, and housing discrimination claims.

How Do Nonprofits Help Serve Homeless Veterans?

There are many non-profits at the federal, state, and local levels that help veterans find the services they need, with over 2100 community-based homeless veteran service providers across the United States. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) has a goal to end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and building the capacity of service providers. They’re the leading authority on homeless veteran’s issues, and the only national organization solely focused on it. The NHCV works as the resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state, and federal agencies that provide supportive services to thousands of veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness each year.

The Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes for military veterans and their families can stay free of charge while the veteran seeks medical care, saving an estimated $610 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation. They have served more than 500,000 families since the non-profit was started.

Hope for the Warriors focuses on improving mental health for veterans by improving their holistic well-being, with services around financial wellness, life roles, physical wellness, emotional wellness, social support, and community connection.

Disabled American Veterans was founded in 1920. The organization provides lifetime support to disabled benefits for free, providing professional assistance to help them receive the benefits they’ve earned. Additionally, they advocate for disabled veterans on Capitol Hill, working to ensure legislation is passed that protects them and their families.

This is just a handful of examples of the many nonprofits fighting to help veterans remain housed and successfully integrate back into civilian life.

Challenges With Veteran Case Management

Working with veterans can be especially challenging for case managers. There is a heightened level of complexity of care coordination. Veterans have complex health conditions requiring care from many specialists at different facilities, and a case worker has to communicate with all relevant parties to ensure all needs are met.

Many veterans receive help from different non-profits. This means that they may have multiple case managers working with them, but not one single case manager to coordinate everything. Caregivers then have to navigate multiple care plans and points of contact, which can lead to disengagement.

The VA system can be filled with barriers, especially when trying to communicate with a service outside of that specific system. This can lead to duplicate tests, costing more for care for veterans who are already struggling with income disparity. Plus, veterans in rural areas have to deal with a shortage of facilities and services to help them, and may not have access to public transportation options.

All of these extra issues lead to burnout for social workers and case managers. Research suggests that coordinating care with non-VHA providers has resulted in higher rates of burnout among VHA primary care providers.

Communication and scheduling can be a huge source of stress for case managers working in veteran homelessness. Alleviate the stress of the administrative side of their jobs by implementing PlanStreet’s case management software at your organization. Our intuitive system follows the case management process, creating seamless workflows and organizing important data all in one place.

With PlanStreet, your team can:

Automate processes and workflows.
Enroll and track attendance for services.
Increase client engagement with the easy-to-use client portal.
Continuously improve with power BI analytics.

Let us show you how PlanStreet can decrease burnout at your non-profit and schedule a live demo with our team today.