Shedding light on the reality of Veteran homelessness and how we can make a difference
“Homelessness is a choice.”
You may have heard this sentiment from members of your community if they see a person holding a sign outside of a grocery store or knocking on a car window while stopped at a red light. There are many misconceptions about homelessness and its causes. While there is no single factor that causes Veterans to become homeless, one thing is certain: No one chooses the pain, instability and trauma that comes with losing the fundamental human right to shelter.
This year, VA has made record strides in its mission to end Veteran homelessness, but there is still work to be done. While Veterans have the right to say no to help, VA remains relentless in its mission and obligation to keep coming back and engaging with homeless Veterans until it gets the ‘yes’ that helps put them on the path to having a safe and stable place to call home.
Understanding the complexity behind Veteran homelessness
Substance use, a history of incarceration or untreated mental health challenges such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can all increase a Veteran’s risk for homelessness. These risk factors are compounded by an environment where affordable housing is limited, economic opportunities are uneven and social networks can break down. When these factors combine, Veterans who never imagined they would one day be without a home can find themselves at risk for homelessness.
Becoming homeless is not a choice but it can be the result of many overlapping factors, from personal and social to environmental.
The reality of living in crisis
Imagine what it would feel like not knowing where you’re going to find a bathroom, a meal or a bed while total strangers watch it happen to you and often ignore you each day. Now imagine what this would feel like if you are also managing chronic health conditions, childcare and employment. Over time, stigma and repeated letdowns can make it hard to trust anyone offering help. Society often misreads behaviors born out of survival as manipulation. When someone struggling to meet basic needs seems defensive or skeptical of help, that’s self-preservation, not moral failure. For a Veteran experiencing homelessness, disappointment is the norm.
Breaking stigma to build trust
We sometimes expect people in crisis to express gratitude, humility or cooperation as a condition of receiving help. But when someone has lived through constant instability, the expectation to show performative thankfulness just to be seen as deserving of help can feel impossible.
Our job is to meet Veterans where they are, physically and emotionally. That means showing compassion, extending grace and understanding that homelessness is a state of crisis, not a reflection of character.
There’s a unique stigma tied to the idea of a “broken Veteran.” Some carry the assumption that Veterans who experience homelessness must have made bad choices or failed to “readjust” after service. We know this isn’t accurate. When you ask men and women to serve in environments that expose them to trauma, instability and risk, you cannot ask them to seamlessly return to civilian life without support and resources.
How you can be part of the solution
Ending Veteran homelessness is a community effort. Every person has the power to help dismantle stigma and create pathways to stability.
Start with understanding: Challenge misconceptions when you hear them. Remind others that Veteran homelessness is not a choice, but often the result of community factors and personal hardships. Changing the narrative begins with conversations that replace judgment with empathy.
Support organizations doing the work: VA and its partners rely on community connections to reach Veterans in crisis. You can help by sharing information about local resources, volunteering with housing programs or advocating for policies that expand affordable housing and mental health services.
Build trust through action: If you encounter a Veteran experiencing homelessness, approach with respect and dignity. Sometimes the most impactful thing you can offer is a moment of humanity—a kind word, listening to their needs or pointing them toward help. These small acts can restore hope and open the door to engagement.
Use your voice: Whether on social media, in your workplace or among friends, speak up about the realities of Veteran homelessness and the progress being made. When communities understand the complexity behind homelessness, stigma loses its grip.
Ending Veteran homelessness happens one interaction at a time. Every conversation, every act of understanding and every resource shared brings us one step closer to a future where every homeless Veteran has a safe and stable place to call home.
Learn more 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 877-424-3838.
- Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
- Get involved: Learn how landlords and property owners can help house homeless Veterans.
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This is a good article and true. When I had first got out and back from Iraq, USMC Vet, I found a job and was about to start college but my mom’s boyfriend didnt care for me and convinced my mom that I needed to move out. Luckily I had friends who let me rent their couch in an apartment and stay their with them at risk since rules of apartment. Couple years later was on my own in own place but car broke down amd lost my job. Luckily girlfriend had friends with a spare room in their house. My dad and aunt loaned me the money and bought a car in cash to help me get and able to make it to work. Either of those times I was spared from living out of my car or the streets but luckily I had support of friends but it very easily could’ve been different. It was definitely not a choice or even anything I could control that caused those issues.
I had the honor and privilege to spend my career helping Veterans and their dependents. I started out as a homeless Veteran outreach specialist. What I learned early on is no two homeless people have the same exact history, motivation and/or characteristics. The one thread tying it all together was substance abuse, with a distrust of authority.
Start making distinctions between run of the mill average joe non combat veterans and actual combat veterans.
Homeless aren’t just veterans. Most come from loses and mental health after you have such things. But we all need to be aware that even homeless people should be held to clean area. Why don’t we ever do that?
Iam a homeless Veteran since November of 2024. Currently in The Footprints Program
Temporary Housing. The program is supposed to last ninety days I have been in the Temp. Housing Unit for almost 180 days.
My disappointment and depression increases daily though I am promised a. Apartment at St. Michaels Veteran community Center soon.
Iam a vetran myself,it’s a sad day for us it has been that way for quite some time,we have politicians that has severed and get the best care but the rest of us have to jump through hoops,we have to make co pays on most of the services we receive,politicians do not,we have to almost beg to get just a few pennies of compsation,we have a director who plans on cutting the community care programs,and other.programs,it sad to say most of the soilders are in voluntary basis, no Vetran should have to live out doors ,while the high politicians that’s in charge live high on the hog,I hope the next generation of vets gets better treatment after their tour is iver,The phrase “This we will defend” stands out but means nothing after the fact
Are you a veteran? I work in a VA rehabilitation center and you think none of them want to be homeless. Some enjoy not abiding by societies rules and no stress of a mortgage. Many of them are 100% VA rated to think it isn’t a choice with so many VA resources. You are wrong. I know some have mental health and other issues so it is harder. But it is almost always a choice.of their poor decisions. Learn what you are talking about before making these bait click articles. I am also in Oregon. But good try on your AI article
There are a lot of Vets . That just don’t care . And have made a choice to stay out. They have people believing that they are hurting but are satisfied with were they are! They have to make an effort to themselves. There are too many ways to get help these days . This is coming from a Vet to whom was out there. There is a misconception of what is really going on with Vets and others that remain homeless!
I give 20 years, 2 knees for my country and I don’t get a dime. We have Clinton to thank. He fired 22000 of us retired military personnel and took our military pensions. I have so much hate, no one better fuck with me. Ret Army SFC E7
I am a landlord with a property in Paterson, NJ that can be developed into either 50 one-bedroom units or 25 three-bedroom units. My goal is to dedicate this project entirely to housing veterans.
I have reached out to multiple organizations and the local VA to explore partnerships, grants, or guidance on how to make this happen. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get meaningful support, direction, or follow-up.
There is a lot of conversation about helping homeless veterans, yet many remain unhoused. I am not a large developer looking to build massive mixed-use projects while allocating the bare minimum to veteran housing. I am a property owner who genuinely wants to create 100% veteran-focused housing and I’m ready to move forward.
If there are organizations, agencies, or individuals who are serious about supporting veterans and can assist with funding, grants, or collaboration, I am asking you to step forward.
Prove me wrong, let’s work together to develop 50 units dedicated entirely to veterans.
I’m at risk of being homeless I’m 65 years old honorable discharge. Living in Florida haven’t been able to get any help. United Way said my arrears is to much to pay. Really need help with assistance please.
With nearly 33,000 veterans that are homeless and still cannot find housing is simply because there is not enough housing and one bedroom apartments to house them all. What ends up happening is they try to put them into homes where they have to bunk up with other guys in the same place and never really getting their own place to live on their own. That is not their fault because as I said there is a huge housing shortage in the USA right now and we are about 3 million units short where we need to be to just catch up with the demand. So it is not only Veterans of course but there are people about 64% that are not addicts and just cannot afford or find housing that is affordable to them or no housing at due to the lack of housing for whatever reason. Those people are usually other disabled and the elderly that live on Social Security disability and Social Security income as well as people on supplemental security inome as well that would fall below the poverty level even a little more than that would in the low end would still not be enough to afford housing on that income I know because I’m on SSDI and I’m currently homeless through the fact that they’re not getting out anymore housing vouchers and haven’t been for a very long time since it also requires that people be able to volunteer to put their apartment or whichever place they would like to rent out available for Section 8 vouchers so they’ve completely run out I guess there’s not very many left and if any at all. I know that in California they are forcing landlords to and which is why it would be probably easier for someone to get an apartment there but without the Section 8 housing vouchers they’re also being limited to just being in a house that would be occupied by many other veterans living in the same room and in that kind of housemates situation she’s not good for all veterans either because of the PTSD and other problems that they have with living with other people and having their own problems is why many of them prefer to be homeless unfortunately. I can only hope that the president Trump will understand that fact and try to do something to help more than he is now because it’s about next to nothing as far as that goes right now and incriminating the homelessness the last thing we needed when we have no way of solving the problem for ourselves.
Take care and God bless the USA. ❤️✝️????
Shawn Liu , while you may humanize the complex issues of Veteran Homelessness you should consider the policy that makes it difficult to access help . It is not simply come to the VA or a program provider and the struggle is over . When a veteran seeking help has to be denied by complacency to implement programs and wait over 2 years without resources you can see the system failing many vets who lack the endurance to live on the street . A solution is available if the powers that be are willing to admit and adjust from the rigid structure slowing down the recovery .
As a veteran who is struggling and about to be homeless I have to disagree with parts of this article. I don’t have a substance abuse problem, ive never been incarcerated, and the only reason my mental health is untreated is the va in fayetteville arkansas removed me from mental health after having problems with my doctors and asking for an outside provider. The reason im about to become homeless is the VAs piss poor policies. Both of my shoulders are destroyed i have nerve damage, mental health issues, bad knees, poor hearing and im at 50% even though I cant work and need surgery on more than one part of my body. At 50% I make $13000 a year. Im so far below the poverty line its burying me like a landslide. So why am I gonna be homeless you ask? I cant afford to survive. I used to work with my hands now i cant. I cant go to college because even though I joined during war time since I got out in 2011 I don’t qualify for the gi forever bill. Which is utter bullshit. Even when I had been able to use it I didn’t get it till halfway though the semester after I failed all my classes because I couldnt afford my books or supplies. The va is wasting so much money on doctors for private health care when its the worst Healthcare in the nation. Fire all the va doctors give the funds to veterans and send every veterans to outside care providers since the va gets to make their own rules and are almost completely unregulated by anybody but themselves. It’s breeds an environment where corruption greed and incompetence run rampant to the point where some veteran see suicide as the best option instead of fighting the bullshit of the VA. I mean the va is failing its mission anyway homeless veterans numbers are rising as well as veteran suicides rates. What does the va do? I’ll publish papers and articles pushing blame away from my shortcomings.
Hey man you are right on and this is exactly what they do they don’t care about the veterans and depend on what kind of veteran you are.\n That you may get good service, but if you are a homeless veteran and you don’t have a drug problem or if it is something that they cannot extort, in order to make them sing or look as if though they’re doing something to the public in the eyes that are outside of the v, a, then you’re not worthy, nor do you count.\n For anything other than denying, you are giving you the runarounds about the services that they cannot provide for you. This is a disgrace to those who have served those who have suffered, and those who are serving now.\n I love my country, but they are p*** po. Those who are in charge
Was this article written by AI? It literally said nothing. What is the myth of Veteran Homelessness? The article never mentioned how many homeless veterans that we have and if the issue is getting better or worse.
I’m getting sick of listening to these ” look at how great we are” stories about veterans and the programs that claim to help them. The reality is any funding for the above mention programs has already been spent or allocated for years in advance. I challenge anyone to call the veterans help lline and actually speak to the places that offer these veterans services.. You will find they don’t have any more funds or you don’t have enough kids to qualify. These services are not designed to help vets, they are designed so the people who create and run these programs can extract the most amount of money from the government using the buzz words homeless and vet. It’s a shame none of these “reporters” take the ten minutes it takes to follow up on these program claims.
Love to have you talk to a real vet that was homeless for 3 years. Hud vash is a joke. Takes 6 months to hear from them. In my journal of homelessness i gathered 136 referrals in 7 states. Almost no assistance. Over 50 v.a. contacts. In texas i contacted 14 landlords for housing. Non would take a hud vash voucher. Lack of payments and excessive paperwork were cited. Instead of the propaganda cited. Wanna talk to a real vietnam vet that went thru hell trying to get housing.
While the sentiment of helping a homeless veteran is indeed noble and there are numerous programs supposedly available to address this issue I’d like to point out many fallacies.
As a 68 year old veteran who is currently experiencing homelessness let me explain my own journey. I lost my job in June 2025. 4 months later I was being evicted.
I contacted various agencies that all claim to help. Technically you could say they did. They all gave me lists of referrals. Some filled with inaccurate information. But the most common theme was it was like a never ending circular pattern. They keep referring you to one of the others. Quite often no one would answer their phones and if you left a message they rarely return a call. It took me almost 1 month to actually talk to an agency that would potentially help.
They took my basic info and said they would get back in touch with me later after saying I was qualified for emergency shelter and not to call them just wait for them to call me. A couple of weeks later I called the agency back. I was told I had been placed on a waiting list for emergency housing on November 6 2025. Its after Christmas now so I guess I am still on that list.
It took until the first week of December for someone from the VA to reach out to me. I spoke with an intake worker, the first and only individual so far that actually seems to care, she drove from DC to Southern Maryland to interview me in person. She took her report back to her office where she put it into the molasses like bureaucracy saying I should meet with an actual caseworker by the end of the week. Its been nearly 2 weeks since that day. Haven’t heard a word from a caseworker.
Many times these agencies are unrealistic in their demands. They want you to fax them or email them items a homeless individual may not have in their possession. Most homeless individuals have no access to the needed documents or a smart phone to send the documents if they can find them. They definitely dont have access to scanners, printers or fax machines.
In my case I dont have a vehicle to go look for work. No money for public transportation. No way to even receive my medications which had previously been sent to my home before I was evicted. I could go to the pharmacy in DC at the VA hospital but no way to make a 45 to 50 mile journey. I asked the local VA clinic if I could have my meds sent there and was told it isnt possible. Ive put in dozens of job applications at various businesses in the area where i am at but only one actually wrote back saying no. Two of these businesses always hire heavily during the holidays. Walmart and Target. I applied at both in early November. Never heard a word back.
Too many times it just seems too many people are simply indifferent. There is little compassion or sympathy and thus is from the people in the very agencies who say they are there to help.
Come to Columbus, Georgia and walk around you’ll see a bunch of bit out for years and years. They don’t even know that they have benefits actually know someone that works with the Red Cross and they drive here every week and they put something into Home as they been working that job for years and years, still doing it Just let you know
That sounds all fine. Well, if you’re not homeless and not on the streets, but if you’re homeless and on the streets, what you just said makes no driven percent, none. I was part of a program in San Diego called a join. They gave me 30 days’ notice to vacate my apartment. And I’ve been on the streets ever since what’s compassionate about that. And look at the inspector general’s information regarding 12 vets. During that period who didn’t receive any type of support that they asked for I’m sure my name’s in there somewhere. If you see a homeless vet come up there and shake his hand say thank you. What can I help you with? Don’t come in the middle of the night with kind words and empty promises. Be honest and role with people. Especially people who have served your country to protect you. You and your rights as american citizens.Goodbye
I am a Veteran, not homeless, and I live in Lbch, ca. how do I know I am speaking with a homeless Veteran? I want to help but I can be swayed with a story.