Imagine seeing an unsheltered homeless Veteran as you walk down the street. Then, imagine your immediate reaction: Is it compassion as you momentarily put yourself in their shoes? Is it anger that America has failed so many? Is it a feeling of displeasure that the street has become a home to those with nowhere else to go? Or do you feel a sense of duty to offer them something—anything—that might make their day better?
It can be easy to generalize about the experience of homelessness, especially for those who don’t encounter it on a regular basis. But empathy for your fellow community members can go a long way.
Every Veteran experiencing homelessness has a story to tell and, often, it involves one or more traumas that led them to where they are now.
If you encounter a Veteran living in an encampment, on the street or in a vehicle, you may feel compelled to help. In this article, we hope to provide you with safe, useful ways to support Veterans experiencing homelessness should you feel empowered to do so.
1. Help them call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
The fastest way for Veterans to get connected to VA is to call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. The call is free, confidential and staffed 24/7 with trained counselors who will connect them to their nearest VA medical center for help.
Each VA medical center has a Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program with team members who are trained to connect Veterans with resources, such as housing assistance, medical and psychiatric inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, and other community-based residential programs or social services.
In some cases, the team may already have a relationship with the Veteran you’ve encountered and may have begun building their trust, which is an important step when it comes to engagement efforts. Many Veterans aren’t willing to get care after a first encounter, but after building a rapport with a social worker or case manager, they decide to come to VA for help.
It’s beneficial to share the general location of homeless encampments with medical centers as the teams will know where to go to provide outreach and services to Veterans in need, particularly in the winter months and during other extreme weather events.
Remember to treat Veterans experiencing homelessness with respect, and don’t rush them to access services they aren’t comfortable with. It’s not your role to build a relationship with a Veteran experiencing homelessness, but connecting them with trained staff who can help is a crucial first step.
If you believe a person is a Veteran and could benefit from VA services, ask if they have served in the military. Some do not identify as a Veteran despite fitting the description.
2. Show humanity and kindness to people experiencing homelessness
Veterans experiencing homelessness are going through several different physical struggles at any given time, whether they be health issues, hunger, thirst, exhaustion or something else. Keep in mind that many have also experienced trauma that brought them to where they are now. Not knowing where their next meal will come from, where they’ll sleep or if they’ll be safe is likely to make anyone distrustful of institutional services.
3. Offer a connection to resources
If you’re looking for a simple way to share the resources VA has available to help Veterans, we encourage you to carry printouts with information or water bottles with the Veterans Crisis Line and National Call Center for Homeless Veterans written on it so Veterans know where they can go for help when they are ready.
If a Veteran isn’t comfortable using VA services, there are community agencies VA can connect them with. These community providers often offer things VA cannot, such as support geared toward families. Libraries are also great hubs for homeless Veterans to find resources to help them through the day, including bathrooms, air conditioning, computers, entertainment and more.
4. Leave judgments and misconceptions about homelessness aside
There are lots of misconceptions about homelessness, including how it happens and why people remain homeless. Unfortunately, homelessness tends to be a cycle that is hard to break out of with job instability and lack of medical care contributing to the issue.
Veterans become homeless in several different ways, including job loss, illness of themselves or a family member, shortage of affordable housing, loss of a home, health issues and substance abuse to name a few.
Showing kindness and instilling hope can go a long way: Smile, say hello and ask their name. Treat them as you would treat any other person having a bad day. If you are able and comfortable, give them a bottle of water, or a prepackaged snack or food for their pet.
5. Consider volunteering to help Veterans experiencing homelessness
If you are interested in providing more help than a single interaction can provide, consider volunteering at a local Stand Down event. Stand Downs are typically one-to-three-day events during which VA staff and volunteers provide food, clothing and health screenings to homeless and at-risk Veterans. Veterans receive referrals for health care, housing solutions, employment, substance use treatment, mental health counseling and other essential services.
You can also reach out to your local VA for information on volunteering, as they have services that allow you to provide help in a more structured environment and share your time and resources with the local Veteran community.
Learn about VA programs
Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
Check out the Ending Veteran Homelessness podcast to learn more about what VA is doing about Veteran homelessness.
Learn how to get involved with housing homeless Veterans.
For more stories like these, subscribe to the Homeless Programs Office newsletter to receive monthly updates about programs and supportive services for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
Pacific Islands VA opens new Akaka clinic in Kapolei, bringing a variety of VA services to Oahu’s leeward side
Veterans can now navigate VA resources with confidence using the new VA Resource Navigator
In this episode of PTSD Bytes, integrated health psychologist Dr. Octaviana Hemmy discusses treatment for HIV and PTSD.
Homeless Veterans is the increase. Reading the high rate of disability claims denied by VA, Would like to see a study correlating these two. How many Homeless VETS have had their benefits claims denied? Once they become homeless VA houses them – reducing the cost of awarded benefits by housing them in other programs.
I will say this. The VA absolutely failed in outreach in 2007 when I was homeless and unable to secure housing after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I escaped a short, but violent marriage. The police protected ex law enforcement. The VA was totally unprepared to address FEMALE veterans with children in custody. I sent my kids to stay with their dad, but there was no loyalty for helping me…just an opportunity to exploit. He was a veteran, too. No housing help for veterans who were not “chronically homeless” (6 months on the street, by definition)
To other women, I hope your experience will be better and help can be found. I have complained loudly for years to defend the needs of female veterans. One of my supervisors from my 2 jobs took me in for several months and ensured I had a safe place to sleep and shower…and keep working. I doubt I would have been able to get it together without her taking that chance on me. She helped me keep my jobs, stay in contact with my kids, and make it through the bankruptcy discharge to a fresh start. I am forever grateful for that.
how do we know if they are truely a veteran and not so scamer just out to get money for drugs or something else. ?
I am so sorry to say probably 99 percent in and on every corner of streets, byways, hiways expressways do not want help because they are NOT VETs. I am so sorry but its true,, you dont want help but monies towards alcohol and drugs and are not homeless veterans.. its true more times than not.. so not really helping every single person.. some pushing children to dance by Walmarts in Taylor in long gowns women and NOT Vets either..
Sadly, too many veterans feel entitled to use their “veteran status” to manipulate empathic citizens, take over neighborhood parks, convert our streets and cities into dangerous, filthy, places that result in lost businesses, livelihoods, diminished downtown cities like Sacramento, Portland, San Francisco , etc. Many homeless want to be near areas where they can panhandle and get drugs and alcohol. Two young women in Grass Valley, CA told my friend that they could get more money begging, than working on her stupid farm!!! (she felt sorry and offered them a cleaning job) The majority refuse treatment, housing, employment, etc., which could get them off the streets! A reporter in L.A. interviewed homeless people that have been “housed” in an old hotel; they were complaining about mold and a lack of housekeeping services in their new housing. Really ungrateful dudes?!? Clean it up yourselves. Then go seek VA case workers to assist with job placement, training, etc and get their own clean housing. I worked with the Homeless Vet Program for 8 years; I left so discouraged. When we managed to encourage them to allow us to walk them through the VA system to assess their medical/ mental health status, offer rehabilitation, treatment, meds, then place them @ the halfway house; they would not abide by the rules: 10 pm curfew to prepare for job tng and interviews; no drugs, alcohol, fighting; no bringing in sexual partners; they would NOT comply with prescribed meds, etc., etc. I believe we need to bring back State Hospitals, while not perfect, we can set up critical measures and standards; track areas in need for improvement and make identified changes and repeat. I worked in a state hospital for the mentally ill; if this facility had not existed, these poor folks would have been the “homeless” that we currently see . The state provided a roof over their head, 3 hots and a cot, therapy & medications. Those that had families could be discharged or placed in group homes.; otherwise many would have ended up in prisons.. Enuff said!
The VA needs to clarify which veterans are worthy of VA assistance. I’ve spoken to veterans who claim that they have lost all access to any benefits or possibility of VA assistance because they were incarcerated for over 90 days. These veterans claim to have been honorably discharged, but became entangled in the justice system (often due to substance abuse.) When their confinement reached the 91-day mark, these veterans claim that the VA gave them a lifetime ban from receiving VA benefits. Essentially a ‘dishonorable discharge’ from the VA. I would like to hear from the VA regarding this issue and for the VA to clarify when a veteran is no longer eligible for VA services.
Good article. I have been working in the Homeless Arena for 20 years +. Specifically, in the Homeless Veteran Arena since 2010. I think, when you are talking about the average citizen helping as part of the solution, you need to mention local SSVF programs. These are the most direct way to get help for Vets. Whether they qualify for VHA or not, as long as the character of their discharge is OTH or better, they can find some help. Have you published, by region, a list of SSVF providers and promulgated that through different media in each region? Might be an effective way to get the word out.
Dr. Dan Helix
Include the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in your discussion. So far, we have housed 1500 homeless veterans in Texas and California.
Our mission is to: END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
Great information package!
Like the idea of putting contact info on a card that can be handed out…that way, the real vets will sort themselves out and can find help, while the imposters will just throw the card away.
I don’t think you covered how I can get information to a homeless veteran at a freeway exit (with several or many cars behind me)!
I worked and managed a VA homeless center at Long Beach.
1.) The Dr who sponsored it had not been there in 5 years or more.
2.) Services were limited because lack of staff. A VA problem they didn’t care about us.
3.) Other personel at the Long Beach VA would become closed and hostile to me when I told them where I worked. Even durring an interview one of the interviewers a senior person at Long Beach VA even said, “You work with those physics.”
So this article I take with a large grain of salt.
4.) Veterans most chronically homeless are there for a reason. I have listened to them CONSPIRE to play the system to get a higher percentage for fake issues in service.
Others because of trouble with the Law so they were playing the VA and the courts playing the system using the ” veterans court/justice” program to avoid jail.
5.) They liked the freedom. Yes many could get into any number of programs. But they liked the freedom to drink and drug. Again only doing substance abuse ir mental health when they had to or to get some benefit.
6.) VA HUD VASH program. I helped get two dozen in. Only 2 made it a year not returning to drinking and drugging on the streets.
7.) A large majority were problem children when they were in and barely completed a tour a large number ended up with adverse discharges for being problem children in service. A look at their background they had these issues prior to service.
8.) A lot of those who claim they are veterans aren’t. And alot of what they say is fabricated.
We need more staff better staff more support and people who know veterans and NOT V.A. people or mental health they are played so often it is t funny.
Vet their BS stories before we give them percentages and make them do thibgs for themselves make them be responsible and show some personal responsibility.
Bottom line they need to want help and most do not. They only come to VA services to regroup or leach services and have no intent on doing mental health programs or being sober.
SADLY the VA and its personel have Jack you know what programs for those who are not substance abusers or mentally ill. BTDT and seen it with REAL PEOPLE WHO WERE HOMELESS. The good thing is most people in that boat are only there for a short time and pull out of that situation inspite of the VAs jerk job.
The VA ‘help homeless veterans’ mantra is similar to the politicians mantra, which is:
“With my ideas and leadership, and your resources and follow-ship, we can do great things.”
I am not qualified to determine whether or not a person asking for monetary assistance is in fact a veteran; nor do I have social work skills to guide any person requiring aid.
I suggest put VA employees on the street to locate and provide professional assistance to military veterans, once it is determined they are in fact veterans.
Can the VA home loan assist vets who are struggling?
What if there impersoning a veteran?I talked to a couple and they didn’t no what they were or there Mos or where they served.
I myself have experienced being on the brink of homelessness, due to service related trauma. I, in fact, established a refuge for other vets who were homeless and disabled, in some way. I had recently completed my PhD in Psychology and found great satisfaction bringing them into a controlled environment where they could cast aside their concerns and focus on their issues. I processed easily over 200 men and women. I eventually helped almost 50 of them back into “regular life” obtaining a job and living quarters. It was both very satisfying and eye-opening. I found that my situation was minimal compared to most of them. I wouldn’t accept a million bucks to leave them without my humanitarian efforts. Just one week before last Christmas I learned of another one of them lost their life due to addiction, the loss of their children, and their perceived helplessness. He was another who was cast aside by the VA, so don’t even THINK that they’re an active concern to the VA. They often cannot prove their situation is service connected and hence they eventually give up, in a rather lack of a blaze of glory. In this case, his children were given to his mother for care, instead of investing IN HIM FIRST so he could recover AND CARE for his children.
Respectfully,
Johnny
Whoever reads this should the Homeless Veterans come first or a 100percent service connected need to have a Dentist that knows how to put in G4implants for free
i guess it matters what your service time was and the v.a. new website va.gov you can track your eligibility for certain things. you can do everything finally in one site. bottom line is it would be nice to get a good discount on services in house like you are wanting for free. dental care is the underlying issue for many medical problems.
There are so many people out there carrying cards card signs saying they re a homeless Veteran. I do not ever engage any of them. There is help for them at any VA location. Let them take the effort to help themselves. I have been up and down many times in my 79 years, anti was always me that helped me, and not anyone else.
What would be great is if CA put this on a business card and had the available at every VAMC and CBOC in the lobby. I see guys with signs saying they are homeless Veterans, but there’s nothing to ever hand to them to let them know about available resources. If you put this information in a card other veterans could carry around in a wallet, when we see these homeless Veterans, we could help VA spread the word.
You could also put up a news story to announce they are available and put it in the Wednesday VetResources email.
Concur. This would be a great idea to put contact info on a small card to handout. The article references printouts.
R,
Jim
you could call your local clinic or other va places to get some free ones as they generally have different pamphlets etc. you can even just copy a bunch on a page and then cut them out to keep in a bag if you are doing this for others. good luck