Homelessness among female Veterans in 2024

Coast Guard Veteran Teresa Bowser lost her husband and her home practically overnight. But when a kind police officer found her homeless and sleeping in her truck, he connected her with the VA program that put a roof over her head again.

When Jocelyn Payton’s mother died, the Army Veteran was too young to remain in the apartment they shared in a senior living community. Her precarious situation was flagged during a routine screening at a VA medical appointment and, within 30 days, she had an apartment.

Air Force Veteran Nicalayae Buford struggled with the transition from military to civilian life and, in that struggle, she lost her home. Today, thanks to VA, she has a stable home for herself and her three kids, a new job, and is going back to school.

Bowser, Payton and Buford are among the over one million Veterans and their family members VA has connected with permanent housing or services that prevented them from falling into homelessness since 2010. That includes more than 27,444 female Veterans served through VA’s homeless programs in fiscal year 2024.

But our work isn’t done. We remain committed to providing housing solutions, health care and community employment services to address the unique challenges of nearly two million female Veterans, the fastest growing segment of the Veteran population and their families.

Looking at the numbers

Despite a jump in 2023, overall Veteran homelessness decreased in 2024 and homelessness among female Veterans followed suit. However, levels still remain higher than they were in 2020.

Homelessness among female Veterans dropped 16% from 2023 to 2024, from 3,980 to 3,329, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

After a concerning rise last year, the number of unsheltered female Veterans living on the streets, in a car or in another unsafe situation also saw a drop of 23% from 2,165 to 1,668.

Factors that contribute to homelessness

Reducing and preventing homelessness among female Veterans starts by recognizing some of the contributing factors unique to them:

• Trauma. There’s evidence of a connection between female Veteran homelessness and trauma. Female Veterans who were homeless have told VA researchers that the experience of trauma before, during and after military service contributed to their housing instability.
• Military sexual assault. One in three female Veterans say “yes” when screened by VA health care for military sexual assault (MST), which is sexual assault or threatening sexual harassment during a person’s military service.  
• Intimate partner violence. Many female Veterans who are homeless also report having a history of intimate partner violence.
• Poverty. Housing is a large expense for anyone, but studies show that females are more likely than males to be at risk of poverty.
• Single parenthood. Females also shoulder more of the costs of child rearing, particularly as single parents.  

Other complex challenges, often connected to or worsened in service, can be common characteristics of female Veterans’ experiences of housing instability. These include childhood adversity, substance use, relationship termination, medical problems, a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and unemployment.

Connecting with help

If you are a female Veteran, you should know that you and your family matter and you deserve a safe place to call home. We know that homelessness doesn’t always look the same for males and females and the solution may not be the same.

What is universal is our approach to ending Veteran homelessness. Our goal is to help you get or stay housed and connect you to other wraparound supports you may need to remain housed, with health care, job training, legal and education assistance and more.

Visit the VA Homeless Programs Office website to learn about initiatives that support safe, stable housing for female Veterans.

Learn about VA programs 

• If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk for homelessness or need to connect with a Veterans justice outreach specialist, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
• 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.
• Subscribe to the Homeless Programs Office newsletter to receive monthly updates about programs and supportive services for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.