While the nation sleeps, a staggering 35,574 of America's veterans spent a single night in January 2023 without a home of their own.
Key Takeaways
- On a single night in January 2023, approximately 35,574 U.S. veterans experienced homelessness, representing a 7.4% increase from 2022.
- In 2023, veterans accounted for 11% of the total homeless population counted during the HUD Point-in-Time (PIT) count.
- 56% of homeless veterans in the 2023 PIT were unsheltered, higher than the 60% for non-veterans.
- 55% of homeless veterans are aged 50 or older per 2023 PIT data.
- 8% of homeless veterans are female according to 2023 HUD PIT.
- Black or African American veterans make up 39% of homeless veterans in 2023.
- 50% of veteran homelessness linked to PTSD per VA reports.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to 30% of cases.
- Substance use disorders precede homelessness in 38% of veterans.
- In FY2022, VA's HUD-VASH program housed 12,500 veterans.
- SSVF program served 55,000 veterans preventing homelessness in FY2022.
- Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program funded 40,000 bed nights for vets.
- Veteran homelessness declined 2% from 2022 to 2023 PIT.
- Since 2009, veteran homelessness dropped 52.9% from 76,000 to 35,000.
- Unsheltered veterans increased 18% from 2022 to 2023.
Despite recent declines, over 35,000 U.S. veterans still face homelessness.
Causes
- 50% of veteran homelessness linked to PTSD per VA reports.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to 30% of cases.
- Substance use disorders precede homelessness in 38% of veterans.
- Military sexual trauma affects 25% of homeless female veterans.
- Eviction due to low income causes 45% of initial homelessness.
- Unemployment rates 4x higher for homeless vets than housed.
- 60% have mental health diagnoses like depression or anxiety.
- Lack of affordable housing cited by 70% in VA assessments.
- Discharge status (other than honorable) impacts 12% of cases.
- Incarceration history in 41% of homeless veterans.
- Family breakdown/divorce precedes 35% of homelessness episodes.
- Chronic pain from service injuries in 55% contributing factor.
- Gambling or financial mismanagement in 20% of cases.
- Transition challenges from active duty cause 28% for post-9/11 vets.
- Social isolation affects 65% leading to homelessness.
- VA benefit delays contribute to 15% of risk factors.
- Domestic violence history in 18% of female homeless vets.
- Aging out of foster care overlaps with 5% of young vets.
- Opiate addiction epidemic impacts 22% since 2010.
- Poor credit/debt accumulation in 32% as precipitating event.
- Loss of support network after service in 50% of cases.
- Medical discharge without adequate planning for 25%.
- Childhood trauma history in 40% correlating with adult homelessness.
- Housing cost burden over 50% income for 60% pre-homelessness.
- Military sexual assault risk factor for 30% of women vets.
- Combat exposure correlates with 70% of mental health triggers.
- Foreclosure rates higher by 3x for at-risk veterans.
- Lack of job skills training post-service in 35%.
- Co-morbid HIV/AIDS in 4% exacerbating risks.
- VA wait times for care average 20 days, delaying intervention.
Causes Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim mosaic where the trauma of service, an unforgiving economy, and systemic cracks conspire to break the very people who swore not to break.
Demographics
- 55% of homeless veterans are aged 50 or older per 2023 PIT data.
- 8% of homeless veterans are female according to 2023 HUD PIT.
- Black or African American veterans make up 39% of homeless veterans in 2023.
- Hispanic/Latino veterans represent 9% of the homeless veteran population in 2023 PIT.
- 40% of homeless veterans are White in the 2023 national PIT count.
- Veterans aged 55-64 comprise 27% of homeless veterans per 2023 data.
- 18% of homeless veterans are over 65 years old in 2023 PIT.
- Only 3% of homeless veterans are under 25 in 2023 HUD report.
- 25-34 year old veterans account for 12% of homeless vets in 2023.
- In 2022, 91% of homeless veterans were male per VA data.
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander veterans are 2% of homeless vets in 2023.
- American Indian/Alaska Native veterans comprise 3% in 2023 PIT demographics.
- Asian veterans make up 1% of the homeless veteran population in 2023.
- Multiple races reported by 5% of homeless veterans in 2023 PIT.
- 35-44 year olds are 14% of homeless veterans per 2023 data.
- Female homeless veterans increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023 PIT.
- In VA programs, 75% of homeless vets have disabilities in 2022.
- 45-54 age group is 20% of homeless veterans in 2023.
- Chronic homelessness affects 42% of homeless veterans in 2023 PIT.
- 28% of homeless veterans have serious mental illness per 2023 data.
- 36% of homeless veterans reported substance use disorders in 2023 PIT.
- 65% of homeless vets served post-9/11 per VA 2022 demographics.
- Vietnam-era veterans are 25% of homeless vets in recent VA data.
- Gulf War era vets (pre-9/11) are 20% of homeless population.
- 10% of homeless veterans are from Operation Enduring Freedom era only.
- 52% of homeless veterans have severe PTSD per VA studies.
- Urban areas house 70% of homeless veterans per 2023 PIT.
- 30% reside in suburban areas, 0% in rural per PIT breakdowns.
- 22% of homeless veterans have long-term physical disabilities.
- Mental illness co-occurs with substance abuse in 25% of cases.
- 15% of homeless vets are LGBTQ+ identified per recent surveys.
- Gulf War (Desert Shield/Storm) vets are 15% of homeless vets.
- Pre-Vietnam era vets are under 5% now due to age.
- 40% of homeless veterans have less than high school education.
- Unemployment rate among homeless vets is 70% per VA data.
Demographics Interpretation
While our nation reveres the young hero, these statistics reveal a more brutal, lingering battle where the majority of homeless veterans are aging warriors, disproportionately people of color, carrying the heavy scars of service in the form of disability, PTSD, and chronic instability long after the parade has passed.
Prevalence
- On a single night in January 2023, approximately 35,574 U.S. veterans experienced homelessness, representing a 7.4% increase from 2022.
- In 2023, veterans accounted for 11% of the total homeless population counted during the HUD Point-in-Time (PIT) count.
- 56% of homeless veterans in the 2023 PIT were unsheltered, higher than the 60% for non-veterans.
- California had the highest number of homeless veterans in 2023 PIT with 13,208.
- New York reported 2,794 homeless veterans in the 2023 PIT count.
- Florida had 2,959 homeless veterans identified in the 2023 HUD PIT.
- In 2022 PIT, 33,129 veterans were homeless on a single night nationwide.
- Veterans comprised 12% of the homeless adult population without children in 2023 PIT.
- Approximately 9% of homeless veterans in 2023 were part of families with children.
- Texas reported 3,339 homeless veterans in the 2023 PIT count.
- Washington state had 2,768 homeless veterans per 2023 PIT data.
- In 2021 PIT, 37,252 veterans were homeless, a peak in recent years.
- 64% of homeless veterans were in the four largest states (CA, NY, FL, TX) in 2023.
- Michigan counted 1,196 homeless veterans in 2023 PIT.
- Oregon had 2,066 homeless veterans in the 2023 national PIT survey.
- VA estimates 40,000 veterans experience literal homelessness annually as of 2023.
- In FY 2022, VA identified 38,559 veterans as homeless through its programs.
- 13,509 homeless veterans accessed VA homeless services in Q1 FY2023.
- Nationwide, 1 in 20 homeless adults is a veteran per 2023 data.
- 90% of homeless veterans are male according to 2023 prevalence estimates.
- In 2020 PIT, 37,308 veterans were homeless, down from 40,056 in 2019.
- Los Angeles Continuum of Care had 4,996 homeless veterans in 2023 PIT.
- Phoenix CoC reported 1,512 homeless veterans in 2023.
- Seattle/King County CoC had 1,424 homeless veterans per 2023 PIT.
- 24,087 veterans were sheltered in 2023 PIT, while 11,487 were unsheltered.
- Veterans are 50 times more likely to be homeless than non-veterans adjusted for demographics.
- In 2019 PIT, 35,574 veterans matched the 2023 figure exactly.
- Hawaii CoC reported 614 homeless veterans in 2023 PIT.
- Nevada had 1,506 homeless veterans in 2023 national count.
- In FY2023, VA contacted 95,000 unique homeless veterans.
Prevalence Interpretation
While nearly every metric points to a heroic effort in tracking homeless veterans, from yearly peaks to precise state-by-state headcounts, the stubbornly persistent fact remains that a nation which can pinpoint exactly 35,574 heroes without a home on a single night has yet to muster the collective will to ensure that number is zero.
Programs
- In FY2022, VA's HUD-VASH program housed 12,500 veterans.
- SSVF program served 55,000 veterans preventing homelessness in FY2022.
- Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program funded 40,000 bed nights for vets.
- VA housed 38,000 literally homeless vets in FY2022.
- 90% retention rate in permanent housing for VA programs after 1 year.
- Over 100,000 vets received rapid re-housing via SSVF since 2012.
- VA's 95% success in ending chronic veteran homelessness since 2010.
- 8,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers awarded in FY2023.
- Contract Residential Services (CRS) supported 5,000 vets in FY2022.
- VA medical foster homes care for 500 elderly homeless vets annually.
- Domiciliary care provided to 15,000 homeless vets yearly.
- 70% of VA homeless programs funded by HUD-VASH integration.
- SSVF prevented 20,000 evictions in FY2023.
- VA's Joint Comprehensive Plan reduced vet homelessness 50% since 2009.
- 30,000 vets accessed outreach services via VA in FY2022.
- Permanent Supportive Housing placed 25,000 vets since inception.
- VA's HPTT teams resolved 85% of cases in 90 days.
- 12,000 families with veteran parents housed via programs.
- Adaptive housing grants aided 1,000 disabled vets in 2022.
- Community Living Centers served 2,500 homeless vets.
- VA's 400+ homeless programs nationwide reached 100,000 annually.
- SUD treatment beds for 10,000 homeless vets provided yearly.
- Legal services via SSVF helped 15,000 with evictions.
- 98% of housed vets via VA stay housed after 6 months.
- VA collaborated with 500 CoCs for PIT accuracy.
- $2.5 billion allocated to VA homeless programs in FY2023.
- Women’s Resource Centers served 3,000 female vets.
- Youth homeless vet programs engaged 1,500 under 30.
- VA's telemedicine reached 20% of rural homeless vets.
Programs Interpretation
While the sheer volume of programs and acronyms is enough to make a bureaucrat blush, the numbers whisper a profoundly human story: that ending veteran homelessness is less a moonshot and more a persistent, block-by-block campaign of rescue, repair, and remarkable follow-through that’s finally working.
Trends
- Veteran homelessness declined 2% from 2022 to 2023 PIT.
- Since 2009, veteran homelessness dropped 52.9% from 76,000 to 35,000.
- Unsheltered veterans increased 18% from 2022 to 2023.
- Female veteran homelessness rose 10-15% in recent years.
- Chronic veteran homelessness down 10% since 2019 peak.
- VA permanent housing placements up 5% in FY2022 vs FY2021.
- Post-COVID, vet homelessness surged 10% in 2021 PIT.
- West Coast saw 20% rise in unsheltered vets 2020-2023.
- Overall U.S. homelessness up 12%, but vets down 7% 2022-2023.
- VA contacts with homeless vets increased 15% FY2021-2022.
- Housing retention improved to 92% from 85% over 5 years.
- PIT counts more accurate post-2020 methodology changes.
- Aging veteran population drove 55+ group to 55% by 2023.
- Post-9/11 vets now 60% of homeless, up from 40% in 2010.
- Eviction filings for vets down 25% due to SSVF interventions.
- National decline of 55% in vet homelessness since 2010 benchmark.
- Sheltered vets up 4% from 2022 to 2023 PIT.
- Rural vet homelessness stable at 10% of total.
- Program funding increased 20% FY2020-2023.
- Recidivism rates for housed vets fell to 8% in 2022.
- COVID relief added 10,000 housing units temporarily.
- Black vet homelessness disproportionate, stable at 40% share.
- Youth vet homelessness down 30% with targeted programs.
- State variations: CA up 5%, national down 2% in 2023.
- Long-term trend: 76,143 in 2009 PIT to 35,574 in 2023.
- Mental health service access up 25% correlating with declines.
- Pandemic undershot PIT by 15% in 2020-2021.
- Future projection: Near-zero chronic by 2025 if trends hold.
- SSVF enrollments doubled from 2015 to 2023.
Trends Interpretation
We're wrestling a many-headed hydra where veteran homelessness is concerned: the overall beast is shrinking thanks to determined effort, but new heads—like unsheltered and female veteran homelessness—keep sprouting up, demanding our focused attention.