Nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a given night in
2009 while about 136,000 vets spent at least one night in a
shelter that year, according to the Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA).
It is the first time that the federal agencies published
an analysis of the extent of homelessness among
veterans.
“This report offers a much clearer picture
about what it means to be a veteran living on our streets
or in our shelters,” said HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan in a statement.
Key findings include:
- Veterans are 50 percent more likely to become
homeless compared with all Americans, and the risk is
even greater among veterans living in poverty and poor
minority vets.
- More than 3,000 cities and counties reported 75,609
homeless vets on a single night in January
2009—57 percent were staying in an emergency
shelter or transitional-housing program while the
remaining 43 percent were unsheltered. Vets represented
about 12 percent of all homeless persons counted.
- During 2009, an estimated 136,000
veterans—about 1 in every 168
vets—spent at least one night in an emergency
shelter or transitional-housing program. Sheltered
homeless vets are most often individual white men
between the ages of 31 and 50 and living with a
disability.
- Nearly half of homeless veterans were in
California, Texas, New York, and Florida, while only 28
percent of all veterans were located in those same four
states.
- Most vets who used emergency shelter stayed for
only brief periods. One-third stayed in a shelter for
less than one week; 61 percent used a shelter for less
than one month; and 84 percent stayed for less than
three months.
HUD and the VA are working to administer a joint program
targeted to homeless vets. Through the HUD-Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing program, HUD provides rental assistance
for homeless veterans while the VA offers case management
and clinical services. Since 2008, $225 million has been
allocated to provide services to about 30,000
individuals.
HUD also reports that the recent Homeless
Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program has assisted
750,000 persons, including more than 15,000 vets.