Veterans
Veterans are 50 percent more likely to become homeless compared to all Americans. 2010 Veterans’ AHAR Report
It has been two years since Opening Doors was launched with the goal to prevent and end Veteran homelessness by 2015. Together, we have made great strides. Since 2009, there has been a 17 percent decrease in Veterans homelessness, and some communities are on pace to end homelessness among Veterans before 2015. Now more than ever, we need a stronger sense of urgency with over 62,000 of the nation’s men and women who served in our armed forces experiencing homelessness. We need to continue to break down silos not just in the federal government but in state and local governments as well.
Causes of homelessness among Veterans are similar to causes of homelessness among non-Veterans (interrelated economic and personal factors and a shortage of affordable housing). Additionally, Veterans experiencing homelessness have distinct characteristics that make it difficult to regain stability. They are more likely to be unsheltered and to experience homelessness for longer periods of time than non-Veterans. Veterans have high rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury, and sexual assault, all of which increase the risk of homelessness. About half of Veterans experiencing homelessness have serious mental illness, half have a history with the criminal justice system, and nearly 70 percent have substance abuse disorders.
In order to improve outcomes for America’s Veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, strategic action should be concentrated in five key areas as suggested in Opening Doors:
- Providing Affordable Housing
- Providing Permanent Supportive Housing
- Increasing Opportunities for Meaningful and Sustainable Employment
- Reducing Financial Vulnerability
- Improving Homeless Crisis Response Systems
There are an array of programs and services available to Veterans who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness that operate in these key areas. As for other populations, however, the complexity of navigating systems makes it difficult for Veterans to get their needs met and for resources used in the most efficient manner.
In response to a request from the Senate Committee on Approriations for fiscal year 2012, USICH provided an assessment of the progress of the HUD-VASH program and the efforts to address homelessness experienced by Veterans in rural communities and on Native American reservations. In December 2012, USICH presented USICH Report to Congress on Homeless Veterans.
USICH has spent time speaking with federal government partners, service providers, policy leaders, and Veterans on how best to focus our resources and actions to accelerate our progress to the 2015 goal. Our Veterans In Focus page includes a wide array of articles and information for all stakeholders invested in ending Veterans homelessness.
If you are or want to help a Veteran experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, you can call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you at 1.877.424.3838
The Department of Veterans Affairs released a fact sheet in September 2011 on the extent of homelessness among Veterans and all VA programs that are integrated to support Veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
Below you will find programs, information, and resources focused specifically on improving outcomes for Veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
Blog
Aligning Assets Towards the Goal: A Blog from VA’s Tom O’Toole on the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACT)
Reflections from the Streets of Hollywood
What We're Talking About: The Week at USICH - October 29-November 2
Integrating StandDown into efforts to End Chronic Veteran Homelessness
A Safe Place: Established Safe Haven provider begins collaboration with Tampa VAMC
What We're Talking About: The Week at USICH - August 27-31
This Week's Update on Taking Veteran Homelessness to Zero
Rapid Results Boot Camp: The 100 Day Challenge
Veterans in Focus: Beyond VASH
Hollywood Joins the Fight against Veteran Homelessness
New Veterans Resource and Referral Center in DC: Greater than the Sum of its Parts
Transitioning to stability: VA provides incentive for Transition in Place model
Ending Veteran Homelessness in Ohio: VISN 10 Summit on Homelessness and Employment Opportunities for Veterans
Fact Sheets
Opening Doors: Homelessness Among Veterans
While the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has been declining over the past three years, 67,000 former service men and ...
SAMHSA Veteran Homelessness Panel - Guiding Principles and Strategies
In August 2011, USICH, SAMHSA, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at HHS, and the Departments of ...
Helpful Websites
National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans
http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCenter.asp The National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans is developed to serve as a ...
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCallCenter.asp Link to website for the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, connecting ...
Making Home Affordable Program
http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/ Homepage for the Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable ...
Press Releases
HUD AND VA ISSUE FIRST-EVER REPORT ON VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
The Department of Housing and Urban Development coordinated with the Department of Veterans Affairs to release the most comprehensive ...
Programs
Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG)
In 1994, the VA launched Project CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) for Veterans, an ...
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans is a supportive residential rehabilitation and treatment service center for Veterans ...
Excess Property for Homeless Veterans Initiative
The Excess Property for Homeless Veterans Initiativeprovides for the distribution of federal excess personal property such as sleeping ...
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans
The primary mission of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV) is to connect Veterans experiencing homelessness to needed ...
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is offered annually (as funding permits) by the Department of Veterans Affairs ...
Homeless Veterans Dental Program
The Homeless Veteran Dental Program is a targeted program for Veterans experiencing homelessness as part of the continuum of services ...
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP)
The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) helps Veterans experiencing homelessness gain meaningful employment and increases ...
Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH)
Participating VA medical centers (VAMCs) were selected based on factors such as the population of homeless Veterans needing services ...
Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program
The Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program provides case management and employment counseling services to Veterans who have ...
Stand Downs
Stand Downs are events that take place around the country that last one to three days and provide assistance to Veterans experiencing ...
Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Program
The Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program works with nonprofit organizations to provide social services for low-income and ...
VBA’s (Veterans Benefit Assistance) Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers
The VBA’s Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Providers Program can assist homeless provider organizations in acquiring ...
Veterans Benefits Assistance Outreach Program
Veterans Benefits Assistance Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinators (HVOCs) are located at 56 VA regional offices nationwide. ...
Veterans Justice Outreach Initiative
The Veterans Justice Outreach initiative limits the criminalization and unnecessary arrest of Veterans suffering from acute and ...
Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program
The Veterans’ Workforce Investment Programs provides funds to assist Veterans experiencing homelessness in gaining meaningful ...
Related Research
Closing a Front Door to Homelessness among Veterans
James McGuire June 2007 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been identified as a mainstream institution to help ...
Improving Access to Disability Benefits Among Homeless Persons With Mental Illness: An Agency-Specific Approach to Services Integration.
Robert Rosenheck, Linda Frisman, and Wesley Kasprow April 1999 This study evaluated a joint initiative of the Social Security ...
Referral and Housing Processes in a Long-Term Supported Housing Program for Homeless Veterans
Wesley J. Kasprow, Robert A. Rosenheck, Linda Frisman and Diane DiLella August 2000 The study examined client characteristics, ...
Developing Programs for Homeless Veterans: Understanding Driving Forces of Implementation
John Nakashima, Jim McGuire, Stephen Berman and William Daniels February 2004 Between 1992 and 2003, services for homeless ...
Developing programs for homeless veterans: understanding driving forces in implementation
John Nakashima 2004 Between 1992 and 2003, services for homeless veterans at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare ...
Expanding Service Delivery: Does it Improve Relationships among agencies serving homeless people with mental illness?
James McGuire, Robert Rosenheck and Craig Burnette January 2002 Enhancing interagency services integration has been advocated as ...
A Modified Therapeutic Community for Homeless Persons
Darren C. Skinner January 2005 This article, "A Modified Therapeutic Community for Homeless Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders of ...
Outcomes After Initial Receipt of Social Security Benefits Among Homeless Veterans With Mental Illness
Robert A. Rosenheck, David J. Dausey, Linda Frisman, and Wesley Kasprow December 2000 This study examines the relationship between ...
Cost-effectiveness of Supported Housing for Homeless Persons With Mental Illness
Robert Rosenheck, Wesley Kasprow, Linda Frisman, and Wen Liu-Mares September 2003 In 1992, the US Department of Housing and Urban ...
Veterans Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 AHAR Report
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development October 2011 HUD and VA published the second annual supplemental report which ...
Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness among US Veterans: A Multisite Investigation
Jamison Fargo, Stephen Metraux, Thomas Byrne, Ellen Munley, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, Harlan Jones, George Sheldon, and Dennis ...
Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs December 2010 This report, a supplement to ...
Upcoming Events and Deadlines
HUD-VASH Webinar: Building Community Partnerships to Effectively Serve Veterans Experiencing Chronic Homelessness
USICH Webpages
USICH Report to Congress on Homeless Veterans
For Fiscal Year 2012, the Senate Committee on Appropriations asked USICH to provide an assessment of the progress of the Department of ...
Ending Homelessness for Veterans and their Families: the Importance of SSVF
As agencies across the federal government accelerate their work towards the 2015 goal of ending homelessness among Veterans, the ...
VA's HPACT Program Collaborates to Meet Healthcare, Housing Needs
The nation is nearing the half-way point towards our goal of ending homelessness for Veterans by 2015, and USICH and its partners are ...
Helping Female Veterans Find Stable Lives
USICH interviewed the Coordinator for the Boston-based Women Veterans Homelessness Program Lauren Dever about successes her program ...
Pilot Program in Massachusetts Links Vulnerable Veterans to Housing and Services Quickly
In Massachusetts, the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) has long been a lead player in coordinating efforts to help Veterans in ...
A Veteran-Centric Approach & Right Sizing Interventions for Veterans in Need - Veteran Profiles
When community partners, homeless service providers, and local Veterans Affairs centers work together, they can meet the needs of ...
VA Programs to Prevent and End Homelessness Among Veterans
An Interview with Lisa Pape The innovative HUD-VASH program receives a lot of attention for its success in housing the most ...
Videos and Webinars
The Way Forward: Ending Veterans Homelessness by 2015
In honor of Veterans Day, USICH Deputy Director Anthony Love moderated an expert panel including Susan Angell Executive Director of ...
