About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in
the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 195,000
veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as
many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many
other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty,
lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap
hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing.
Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era veterans is
greater than the number of service persons who died during that war -- and a
small number of Desert Storm veterans are also appearing in the homeless
population. Atlthough many homeless veterans served in combat in Vietnam and
suffer from PTSD, at this time, epidemiologic studies do not suggest that there
is a causal connection between military service, service in Vietnam, or exposure
to combat and homelessness among veterans. Family background, access to support
from family and friends, and various personal characteristics (rather than
military service) seem to be the stronger indicators of risk of homelessness.
Almost all homeless veterans are male (about three percent are women), the
vast majority are single, and most come from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds.
Homeless veterans tend to be older and more educated than homeless non-veterans.
But similar to the general population of homeless adult males, about 45% of
homeless veterans suffer from mental illness and (with considerable overlap)
slightly more than 70% suffer from alcohol or other drug abuse problems. Roughly
56% are African American or Hispanic.
Are you a homeless veteran?
Get started.
or call the
local Homeless Program direct line at 479-444-4004 for assistance from the
Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Get more facts:
Full Report: Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans (PDF | 1.77 MB |
36 pages)
Snapshot: Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans (PDF | 304 KB | 2
pages)
Veterans Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (PDF | 56 KB | 2 pages)
Vital Mission: Appendix A: Methodology (PDF | 23 KB | 2 pages)
Vital Mission: Presentation (PPT | 3.79 MB | 14 pages)
Vital Mission: References (PDF | 23 KB | 2 pages)