Veterans and Homelessness
Libby Perl
Specialist in Housing Policy
November 29, 2013
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL34024
CRS Report for Congress
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Veterans and Homelessness

Summary
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought renewed attention to the needs of veterans,
including the needs of homeless veterans. Researchers have found both male and female veterans
to be overrepresented in the homeless population, and as the number of veterans increases due to
these conflicts, there is concern that the number of homeless veterans could rise commensurately.
The 2007-2009 recession and the subsequent slow economic recovery also raised concerns that
homelessness could increase among all groups, including veterans.
Congress has created numerous programs that serve homeless veterans specifically, almost all of
which are funded through the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA). These programs provide health care and rehabilitation services for homeless
veterans (the Health Care for Homeless Veterans and Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
programs), employment assistance (Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and Compensated
Work Therapy program), and transitional housing (Grant and Per Diem program) as well as
supportive services (the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program). The VA also works
with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide permanent
supportive housing to homeless veterans through the HUD-VA Supported Housing Program
(HUD-VASH). In the HUD-VASH program, HUD funds rental assistance through Section 8
vouchers while the VA provides supportive services. In addition, the VA and HUD have
collaborated on a homelessness prevention demonstration program.
Several issues regarding veterans and homelessness have become prominent, in part because of
the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. One issue is ending homelessness among veterans. In November
2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness within five years. Both the VA and HUD
have taken steps to increase housing and services for homeless veterans. Funding for VA
programs has increased in recent years (see Table 5) and Congress has appropriated funds to
increase available units of permanent supportive housing through the HUD-VASH program (see
Table 6). Congress has appropriated $425 million to support initial funding of HUD-VASH
vouchers in each year from FY2008 through FY2013, enough to fund nearly 58,000 vouchers.
Another issue is the concern that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are at risk of
homelessness may not receive the services they need. In addition, concerns have arisen about the
needs of female veterans, whose numbers are increasing. Women veterans face challenges that
could contribute to their risks of homelessness. They are more likely to have experienced sexual
trauma than women in the general population and are more likely than male veterans to be single
parents. Historically, few homeless programs for veterans have had the facilities to provide
separate accommodations for women and women with children. In recent years, Congress and the
VA have made changes to some programs in an attempt to address the needs of female veterans,
including funding set asides and efforts to expand services.

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Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview of Veterans and Homelessness ........................................................................................ 1
Definition of “Homeless Veteran” ............................................................................................. 2
Estimates of the Number of Homeless Veterans ........................................................................ 4
Demographic Characteristics of Homeless Veterans ................................................................. 7
Demographic Characteristics Reported in the Annual Homeless
Assessment Report ........................................................................................................... 8
Demographic Characteristics of Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs .................... 8
Overrepresentation of Veterans in the Homeless Population ......................................................... 11
Overrepresentation of Male Veterans ................................................................................ 12
Overrepresentation of Female Veterans ............................................................................ 13
Why Are Veterans Overrepresented in the Homeless Population? .......................................... 16
Factors Present During and After Military Service ........................................................... 16
Factors that Pre-date Military Service ............................................................................... 18
Federal Programs that Serve Homeless Veterans ........................................................................... 18
The Department of Veterans Affairs ........................................................................................ 19
Health Care for Homeless Veterans ................................................................................... 19
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans .......................................................................... 20
Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence Program ......................................... 21
Grant and Per Diem Program ............................................................................................ 23
Supportive Services for Veteran Families ......................................................................... 26
Enhanced Use Leases ........................................................................................................ 27
Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Veterans ............................................................... 27
VA and HUD Collaborations ................................................................................................... 28
HUD-VASH ...................................................................................................................... 28
Demonstration Program to Prevent Homelessness Among Veterans ................................ 31
The Department of Labor ........................................................................................................ 32
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program ....................................................................... 32
Funding for Homeless Veterans Programs ..................................................................................... 34
Issues Regarding Veterans and Homelessness ............................................................................... 37
The VA Plan to End Veteran Homelessness ............................................................................. 37
Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .......................................................................... 39
Women Veterans ...................................................................................................................... 40

Tables
Table 1. HUD Estimates of Homeless Veterans, 2009-2013 ........................................................... 6
Table 2. Information About Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs ........................................ 9
Table 3. Results from Five Studies: Veterans as a Percentage of the Homeless Population
and Likelihood of Experiencing Homelessness .......................................................................... 14
Table 4. Selected Outcomes for Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs ............................... 25
Table 5. Funding for Selected Homeless Veterans Programs, FY1988-FY2012 ........................... 34
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Table 6. Funding for HUD-VASH ................................................................................................. 36

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 42

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Introduction
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought renewed attention to the needs of veterans, including
the needs of homeless veterans. Homeless veterans initially came to the country’s attention in the
1970s and 1980s, when homelessness generally was becoming a more prevalent and noticeable
phenomenon. The first section of this report defines the term “homeless veteran,” discusses
attempts to estimate the number of veterans who are homeless, and presents the results of studies
regarding the demographic characteristics of homeless veterans as well as those served in VA
homeless programs.
At the same time that the number of homeless persons began to grow, it became clear through
various analyses of homeless individuals that homeless veterans were overrepresented in the
homeless population. The second section of this report summarizes the available research
regarding the overrepresentation of both male and female veterans, who have been found to be
present in greater percentages in the homeless population than their percentages in the general
population. This section also reviews research regarding possible explanations for why homeless
veterans have been overrepresented.
In response to the issue of homelessness among veterans, the federal government has created
numerous programs to fund services, transitional housing, and permanent housing specifically for
homeless veterans. The third section of this report discusses these programs. The majority of
programs are funded through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Within the VA, the
Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is responsible for the health care of veterans,
operates all but one of the programs for homeless veterans. The Veterans Benefits Administration
(VBA), which is responsible for compensation, pensions, educational assistance, home loan
guarantees, and insurance, operates the other. In addition, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) operate programs for homeless veterans.
Several issues regarding homelessness among veterans have become prominent since the
beginning of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fourth section of this report discusses
three of these issues. The first is the VA’s plan to end homelessness among veterans. A second
issue is ensuring that an adequate transition process exists for returning veterans to assist them
with issues that might put them at risk of homelessness. Third is the concern that adequate
services might not exist to serve the needs of women veterans. This report will be updated when
new statistical information becomes available and to reflect programmatic changes.
Overview of Veterans and Homelessness
Homelessness has always existed in the United States, but only in recent decades has the issue
come to prominence. In the 1970s and 1980s, the number of homeless persons increased, as did
their visibility. Experts cite various causes for the increase in homelessness. These include the
demolition of single room occupancy dwellings in so-called “skid rows” where transient single
men lived, the decreased availability of affordable housing generally, the reduced need for
seasonal unskilled labor, the reduced likelihood that relatives will accommodate homeless family
members, the decreased value of public benefits, and changed admissions standards at mental
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hospitals.1 The increased visibility of homeless persons was due, in part, to the decriminalization
of actions such as public drunkenness, loitering, and vagrancy.2
Homelessness occurs among families with children and single individuals, in rural communities
as well as large urban cities, and for varying periods of time. Depending on circumstances,
periods of homelessness may vary from days to years. Researchers have created three categories
of homelessness based on the amount of time that individuals are homeless.3 First, transitionally
homeless people are those who have one short stay in a homeless shelter before returning to
permanent housing. In the second category, those who are episodically homeless frequently move
in and out of homelessness but do not remain homeless for long periods of time. Third,
chronically homeless individuals are those who are homeless continuously for a period of one
year or have at least four episodes of homelessness in three years. Chronically homeless
individuals often suffer from mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Although veterans
experience all types of homelessness, some evidence exists that they may be chronically homeless
in higher numbers than nonveterans.4
Homeless veterans began to come to the attention of the public at the same time that
homelessness generally was becoming more common. News accounts chronicled the plight of
veterans who had served their country but were living (and dying) on the street.5 The commonly
held notion that the military experience provides young people with job training, educational and
other benefits, as well as the maturity needed for a productive life, conflicted with the presence of
veterans among the homeless population.6
Definition of “Homeless Veteran”
In order to qualify for assistance under the homeless veteran programs governed by Title 38 of the
U.S. Code, veterans must meet the definition of “homeless veteran.” The term contains two layers
of definition.7 First, the definition of “veteran” for purposes of Title 38 benefits (the Title of the
United States Code that governs veterans benefits) is a person who “served in the active military,
naval, or air service” and was not dishonorably discharged.8 For a detailed discussion of the
criteria required to receive veterans benefits, see CRS Report R42324, “Who is a Veteran?”—
Basic Eligibility for Veterans’ Benefits, by Umar Moulta-Ali.

1 Peter H. Rossi, Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press,
1989), 181-194, 41. See, also, Martha Burt, Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the 1980s (New York:
Russell Sage Foundation, 1992), 31-126.
2 Down and Out in America, p. 34; Over the Edge, p. 123.
3 See Randall Kuhn and Dennis P. Culhane, “Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by
Pattern of Shelter Utilization: Results from the Analysis of Administrative Data,” American Journal of Community
Psychology 26, no. 2 (April 1998): 210-212.
4 For example, see U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental
Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, October 2011, p. 4, https://www.onecpd.info/
resources/documents/2010AHARVeteransReport.pdf.
5 Marjorie J. Robertson, “Homeless Veterans, An Emerging Problem?” in The Homeless in Contemporary Society, ed.
Richard J. Bingham, Roy E. Green, and Sammis B. White (Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1987), 66.
6 Ibid., pp. 64-65.
7 The United States Code defines the term as “a veteran who is homeless” as defined by the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act. 38 U.S.C. §2002(1).
8 12 U.S.C. §101(2).
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Second, veterans are considered homeless if they meet the definition of “homeless individual”
codified as part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77).9 Specifically, the
statute defining homeless veteran refers to Section 103(a) of McKinney-Vento. McKinney-Vento
lays out several ways in which someone may be considered homeless.
Literal Homelessness: An individual or family is homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence, defined to mean:
• Having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not
designed for, nor ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings. These may include a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train
station, or campground.
• Living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide
temporary living accommodations. These include transitional housing and hotels
or motel rooms paid for by charitable institutions or government entities.
• Exiting an institution (such as a jail or hospital) after a stay of 90 days or less,
and having resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human
habitation prior to entering the institution.
Imminent Loss of Housing: Individuals and families who meet all of the following criteria are
considered homeless:
• They will “imminently lose their housing,” whether it be their own housing,
housing they are sharing with others, or a hotel or motel not paid for by a
government entity. Imminent loss of housing is evidenced by an eviction notice
requiring an individual or family to leave their housing within 14 days; a lack of
resources that would allow an individual or family to remain in a hotel or motel
for more than 14 days; or credible evidence that an individual or family would
not be able to stay with another homeowner or renter for more than 14 days.
• They have no subsequent residence identified.
• They lack the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent
housing.
Other Federal Definitions: Unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children who are
defined as homeless under other federal statutes are considered homeless if they meet all of the
following criteria:
• They have experienced a long-term period (defined in regulation as 60 days10)
without living independently in permanent housing.
• They have experienced instability as evidenced by frequent moves (two moves or
more during the 60-day period).

9 The definition of “homeless veteran” is at 39 U.S.C. § 2002. The McKinney-Vento definition of homeless individual
is codified at 42 U.S.C. §11302(a).
10 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to
Housing: Defining “Homeless”,” 76 Federal Register 75996, December 5, 2011.
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• They can be expected to continue in unstable housing due to factors such as
chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions,
substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the
presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.
Domestic Violence: Note that the domestic violence provision of the McKinney-Vento definition
does not apply to VA programs. When the McKinney-Vento statute was amended in 2009, Section
103(b) was added to the law. The section includes as homeless anyone who is fleeing a situation
of domestic violence or some other life-threatening condition. The VA definition of homeless
veteran only refers to subsection 103(a) of McKinney-Vento. As a result, unless the reference to
“homeless veteran” in Title 38 is changed to include subsection (b), this part of the definition is
not part of the definition of homeless veteran. Two bills in the 112th Congress, H.R. 4287 and S.
3049, would have updated the definition of homeless veteran to include Section 103(b) of
McKinney-Vento.
Estimates of the Number of Homeless Veterans
The exact number of homeless veterans is unknown, although the methods used to estimate their
numbers have been improving in recent years. Through 2009, both the VA and HUD conducted
separate assessments of the number and percentage of homeless veterans over a period of years
(the VA beginning in 1998, and HUD in 2006). However, beginning in 2011, the two agencies
announced that they would coordinate their efforts to produce estimates.11 HUD produces two
types of estimates, with the VA collaborating on those involving veterans. The first is a point-in-
time count and the second is an estimate of the total number of people who experience
homelessness at some point during the year.
The point-in-time counts began in 2005, with HUD requiring local jurisdictions called
“Continuums of Care” (CoCs)12 to conduct a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons
on one night during the last week of January every other year (though many CoCs conduct counts
every year). As part of these point-in-time counts, CoCs are to collect information about homeless
individuals, including veteran status. For the last five years, from 2009 through 2013, HUD has
released point-in-time counts of homeless veterans.13

11 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Guidance for Counting Veterans During 2011 Point-in-Time
Counts of Homeless People, p. 2, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/2011PITVetGuidance.pdf.
12 Continuums of Care are typically formed by cities, counties, or combinations of both. Representatives from local
government agencies and service provider organizations serve on CoC boards, which conduct the business of the CoC.
13 The 2009 and 2010 counts were published as part of HUD’s Veterans Supplements to the Annual Homeless
Assessment Reports to Congress. See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to
Congress, January 2011, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/2009AHARVeteransReport.pdf (hereinafter 2009
Veterans Supplement to the AHAR) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to
Congress, October 2011, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/2010AHARVeteransReports.pdf (hereinafter 2010
Veterans Supplement to the AHAR). The 2011 through 2013 point-in-time counts are available at U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, The 2011 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness: Supplement to the Annual
Homeless Assessment Report, December 2011, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/PIT-
HIC_SupplementalAHARReport.pdf (hereinafter 2011 Point-in-Time Count); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, The 2012 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness: Volume I of the 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment
Report, November 2012, https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2012AHAR_PITestimates.pdf (hereinafter
2012 Point-in-Time Count); and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The 2013 Annual Homeless
(continued...)
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The estimates of people who experience homelessness at some point during the year are released
as part of HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Reports (AHARs) to Congress. HUD uses a
sample of homelessness data from CoCs across the country to arrive at an estimate. HUD and the
VA have issued two Veteran-Specific AHARs to Congress, for 2009 and 2010, which contain
estimates of the number of veterans who experienced homelessness at any point during the year.14
The 2011 AHAR contains a separate section with estimates of homeless veterans.15 Each of the
estimates―point-in-time and full year―has caveats and limitations in what they represent. These
include differences in the time periods in which estimates are made, the living situations of those
who are considered homeless, and the method used to arrive at a number.
Point-in-Time Count:
• Time Period: The point-in-time counts generally occur on one night during the
last week of January. Therefore the counts are a snapshot of the number of people
who are homeless on a given day, and they are not meant to represent the total
number of people who experience homelessness over the course of a year.
• Living Situation: The point-in-time estimates are meant to capture all homeless
individuals and families who are unsheltered (living on the street or other place
not meant for human habitation), as well as those living in emergency shelters
and transitional housing. Note that until 2011, communities were not required to
count unsheltered individuals, although most communities did (approximately
84% conducted both a sheltered and unsheltered count in 2010).16 Beginning in
2011, all communities were required to count those living on the streets or other
places not meant for human habitation.17
• Method of Arriving at a Number: In general, the point-in-time count is meant
to capture all individuals who are homeless and is not an estimate based on a
sample. However, HUD has adjusted the number to account for (1) cases where
beds for homeless veterans were missing from HUD’s inventory of service
providers, (2) instances where data on sheltered veteran status were missing, (3)
instances where CoCs did not count sheltered veterans, and (4) instances of
missing data on unsheltered veterans or reports of zero unsheltered veterans.18
Estimate of the Number of People Homeless at Any Point During the Year:

(...continued)
Assessment Report, Part 1 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness, November 2013, https://www.onecpd.info/
resources/documents/AHAR-2013-Part1.pdf (hereinafter 2013 Point-in-Time Count).
14 See 2009 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR and 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR.
15 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The 2011 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress,
Revised, November 2012, p. 55, https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2010HomelessAssessmentReport.pdf
(hereinafter 2011 AHAR).
16 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress,
June 2011, p. 5, https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2010HomelessAssessmentReport.pdf.
17 Guidance for Counting Veterans During 2011 Point-in-Time Counts of Homeless People, p. 2. See footnote 11 for
full citation.
18 As part of the 2009 and 2010 point-in-time counts, HUD described the way in which it adjusted the data. See 2009
Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, Appendix A and 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, Appendix A. The point-
in-time counts for 2011 and 2012 were not released as part of HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Reports, and do
not go into the same level of methodological detail, so it is unclear whether the same adjustments were made.
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• Time Period: The second HUD estimate is an ongoing process to produce an
annual estimate of the number of people who are homeless, including homeless
veterans, through Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). As part
of the HMIS initiative, local jurisdictions collect and store information about
homeless individuals they serve, and the information is aggregated in computer
systems at the community level. The estimates based on HMIS data differ from
point-in-time estimates in that they are based on a full year’s worth of
information (rather than one day).
• Living Situation: The estimates only include individuals who were residing in
emergency shelters or transitional housing during the relevant time periods (i.e.,
estimates do not include those persons living on the street or in similar places not
meant for human habitation).
• Method of Arriving at a Number: The estimates are based on a sample of
communities (rather than an aggregation of all communities). For example the
2010 estimate used data from a sample of 320 communities.19 The data reported
by local CoCs were adjusted to account for sheltered adults whose veteran status
was unknown and for emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities that
did not report data to the local HMIS.20
Table 1, below, contains estimates of homeless veterans from 2009 through 2013. The first
columns of the table contain results of the annual point-in-time counts of homeless veterans and,
using that number, the percentage of homeless adults who are homeless veterans. The last
columns of the table contain the results of the HMIS estimates of homeless veterans from
FY2009 through FY2011, as well as the percentage in the adult homeless population.
Table 1. HUD Estimates of Homeless Veterans, 2009-2013

Point-in-Time Count
Full-Year Estimate
One-Day Count of Veterans
Living in Shelter, on the Street,
Estimate of Veterans Living in
or Other Place Not Meant for
Shelter at Some Point During

Human Habitation
the Year
% of Adult
% of Adult
# of Homeless
Homeless
# of Homeless
Homeless
Year
Veterans
Population
Veterans
Population
2009 75,609a 16%b 136,334c 10%b
2010 76,329d 16%e 144,842f 13%e
2011 67,495g 14%
141,449
h
2012 62,619i 13%
j j
2013 57,849k 12%
j j
Source: 2009 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, 2011 Point-in-Time Count,
2012 Point-in-Time Count, and 2013 Point in Time Count. See footnote 13 for complete citations.

19 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 3.
20 Ibid., Appendix A.
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a. Of the 75,609 homeless veterans counted in 2009, a reported 57% were sleeping in emergency shelter or
transitional housing and 43% were on the street or in other places not meant for human habitation. See
2009 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 5.
b. In both the 2009 point-in-time and ful -year estimates, veterans were overrepresented in the homeless
population. According to the point-in-time estimate, veterans represented 16% of the adult homeless
population (compared to 8% of the total population), and in the ful -year estimate veterans were about 10%
of the homeless population. See 2009 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 6.
c. The estimate is from the time period October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009. The 95% confidence
interval is 78,765 to 193,901. See 2009 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 6.
d. Of the 76,329 homeless veterans in the 2010 point-in-time count, a reported 57% were sleeping in
emergency shelter or transitional housing and 43% were on the street or in other places not meant for
human habitation. See 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 3.
e. In both the 2010 point-in-time and ful -year estimates, veterans were overrepresented in the homeless
population. According to the point-in-time estimate, veterans represented 16% of the adult homeless
population (compared to 9.5% of the total adult population), and in the full-year estimate veterans were
about 13% of the adult homeless population. See 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 4.
f.
The 2010 estimate is from the time period October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010. The 95%
confidence interval is 111,476 to 178,208. See 2010 Veterans Supplement to the AHAR, p. 4.
g. Of the 67,495 veterans who were homeless in the 2011 point-in-time count, an estimated 59% were living
in shelter and 41% on the street or other place not meant for human habitation. See 2011 Point-in-Time
Count, p. 6.
h. The 2011 AHAR did not appear to include a figure for veterans as a percentage of the adult homeless
population.
i.
Of the 62,619 homeless veterans counted in the 2012 point-in-time count, a reported 56% were sleeping in
emergency shelter or transitional housing and 44% were on the street or in other places not meant for
human habitation. See 2012 Point-in-Time Count, p. 15.
j.
HUD has not yet released full-year estimates for 2012 and 2013.
k. Of the 57,849 homeless veterans counted in the 2013 point-in-time count, a reported 60% were sleeping in
emergency shelter or transitional housing and 40% were on the street or in other places not meant for
human habitation. See 2013 Point-in-Time Count, p. 38.
Demographic Characteristics of Homeless Veterans
Until recently, the best data available regarding the demographics of homeless veterans preceded
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, HUD and the VA, in the Veterans Supplements to the
Annual Homeless Assessment Reports to Congress, include demographic data about veterans
living in shelter (the data don’t include information about those living on the streets or other
places not meant for human habitation). In addition, characteristics about individuals served
through VA homeless programs are available from annual VA reports. The next two sections
present some of this information.
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Demographic Characteristics Reported in the Annual Homeless
Assessment Report
The 2011 AHAR provided demographic information about veterans experiencing homelessness
who were living in shelter, and who were included in local Homeless Management Information
Systems (HMIS) efforts to learn more about those who are homeless.21
• Gender: Homeless veterans are predominantly men (90.2%), with women
making up 9.8% of homeless veterans (compared to 7.2% of all veterans).
• Race and Ethnicity: African American veterans make up 35.5% of the homeless
veteran population, compared to 11.0% of all veterans.22 Hispanic veterans
comprise 8.3% of homeless veterans compared to 5.3% of all veterans. Non-
Hispanic White veterans made up 51.0% of homeless veterans (compared to
80.5% of all veterans).
• Age: While more than half of all veterans are age 62 and older (51.8%), veterans
in the 31-50 and 51-61 age groups have the greatest percentages of homeless
veterans. They are each almost equally represented at 39.1% and 42.3% of the
homeless veteran population, respectively. Veterans between 18 and 30 make up
9.1%, and veterans age 62 and older make up 9.5% of the homeless veteran
population.
Demographic Characteristics of Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs
The VA collects data from a number of programs that serve homeless veterans on VA medical
center campuses, in health clinics, and in the community. The programs include Health Care for
Homeless Veterans (HCHV), Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV), the
Compensated Work Therapy/Therapeutic Residences Program, and the HUD/VA Supported
Housing Program (HUD-VASH), all of which are described in more detail later in this report (see
the section entitled “Federal Programs that Serve Homeless Veterans”). Each fiscal year, the VA
publishes reports to Congress about veterans served in these programs. While the demographics
of the veterans served in the VA programs do not constitute a representative sample of homeless
veterans, and some veterans may be served in more than one program, the information may give a
picture of the veterans who seek assistance and/or receive services.
Exact comparisons of the veteran population in general are not available for each demographic
category, but based on available data, some differences between homeless veterans served in VA
programs and veterans in general include the following:
• African American veterans are over-represented among veterans served in
homeless programs, making up 11.4% of the veteran population in 2010
(according to VA data) but representing more than 40% of those served in each
program.23

21 2011 AHAR, pp. 55-62.
22 The 2011 AHAR used 2008-2010 American Community Survey data to arrive at total veterans.
23 See the National Center for Veteran Analysis and Statistics, http://www1.va.gov/VETDATA/docs/Demographics/
5l.xls.
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• As previous studies have found, veterans who served in the post-Vietnam era but
prior to the Gulf War era are also over-represented among those served in the VA
homeless programs, ranging from 37% to 54% of veterans served, depending on
the program.24
• Veterans served in homeless programs have higher unemployment rates (ranging
between 19% and 29%) compared to veterans in general (8.7% in 2010).25
• Both male and female veterans were married at a higher rate than veterans served
in the VA’s homeless programs—68% of men and 47% of women compared to
between 5% and 9% of those served in VA programs.26
Table 2, below, summarizes data about veterans served in VA homeless programs. Note that
veterans may participate in more than one program.
Table 2. Information About Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs
Data from FY2008 through FY2010
Compensated
Domiciliary
Work Therapy
HUD/VA
Health Care
Care for
Program/
Supported
for Homeless
Homeless
Therapeutic
Housing
Veterans
Veterans
Residences
Program
Characteristics
(HCHV)
(DCHV)
(CWT/TR)
(HUD-VASH)
Veteran Population Surveyed
42,858a 6,197b 759c 23,654d
Year Data Col ected
FY2010
FY2010
FY2009
FY2008-FY2010
Average Age
51.0
49.8
48.6
50.4
Marital Status
% Married
7.1
6.3
5.6
8.5
% Divorced/Separated/Widowed
63.4e 63.3
62.0
60.5
% Never Married
29.6
30.4
32.4
25.5
Gender
% Men
94.3
95.1
95.4
88.5
% Women
5.7
4.9
4.6
11.5
Race/Ethnicity
% White, Non-Hispanic
47.5
50.9
48.7
38.1
% African American
42.4
40.8
43.9
46.0
% Hispanic
5.3
5.5
3.8
7.1
% American Indian/Alaskan
1.3
1.8
—f 1.3
% Asian/Pacific Islander
0.7
0.3
—f 0.8

24 In 2010, veterans who served between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras comprised 15.1% of veterans. See
http://www.va.gov/VETDATA/docs/Demographics/2l.xls.
25 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation of Veterans 2010, March 11, 2011, http://www.bls.gov/
news.release/archives/vet_03112011.pdf.
26 The marriage rates of veterans generally is from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Profile of Veterans 2009,
January 2011, p. 7, http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/SpecialReports/Profile_of_Veterans_2009_FINAL.pdf.
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Compensated
Domiciliary
Work Therapy
HUD/VA
Health Care
Care for
Program/
Supported
for Homeless
Homeless
Therapeutic
Housing
Veterans
Veterans
Residences
Program
Characteristics
(HCHV)
(DCHV)
(CWT/TR)
(HUD-VASH)
% Other
0.7
0.6
3.6
1.1
Era Served
% Prior to Vietnam Era
3.1g 1.2h 0.3i 2.6
% Vietnam
33.6
28.6
26.0
33.6
% Post-Vietnam
43.3
49.8
53.7
37.2
% Persian Gulf (1991-Present)j 20.1
20.3
20.0 20.6
Recent Theaters of Operation
% Operation Desert Storm
7.1
5.8
—
—
% Operation Enduring Freedom
1.8
1.6
—
—
% Operation Iraqi Freedom
5.2
5.0
—
—
Employment Pattern over the Previous Three Years
% Employed Ful Time
18.2
33.3
45.8
24.4
% Employed Part Time
25.8
20.7
30.8
15.0
% Unemployed
28.6
25.7
20.1
19.3
% Retired or with Disability
25.4
19.3
2.8
32.7
% Other
2.0k 1.0
0.5 2.8l
Mental Health and Substance Use Issues
% Substance Use Disorder
58.7
89.3
96.4
60.2
% Serious Psychiatric Diagnosis
54.6
69.6
59.4
42.2
% Dually Diagnosedm 35.5
62.2
56.5
26.7
Sources: Wesley J. Kasprow, Rani Desai, Diane DiLel o, Leslie Cavallaro, and Nicole Harelik, Healthcare for
Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report (HCHV program report), U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center, March 31, 2011; Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda
Baldino, and Rani Desai, Twenty-Second Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program,
FY2010 (DCHV program report), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation Center,
April 19, 2011; Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda Baldino, and Timothy Cuerdon, Compensated Work
Therapy/Transitional Residence (CWT/TR) Program FY2009 (CWT/TR program report), Department of Veterans
Affairs, Northeast Program Evaluation Center, June 2010, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast
Program Evaluation Center, Department of Housing and Urban Development-Department of Veterans Affairs
Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH), summary for period June 1, 2008—September 30, 2010.
a. The HCHV program report provides demographic information on clients assessed for program
participation. HCHV report, p. 47.
b. The DCHV program report provides information regarding veterans who completed treatment in the
program in FY2008; the information was collected at the time of admission. DCHV report, p. 11.
c. The CWT/TR program report provides demographic information on clients admitted into the program.
d. The HUD-VASH information is for veterans who participated in VA case management for the program.
e. The HCHV program report separately breaks out the percentage of veterans separated (13.8%), divorced
(45.6%), and widowed (4.0%).
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f.
This information is not provided.
g. For the HCHV program, the line showing the percentage of veterans serving prior to the Vietnam era
aggregates five eras: pre-WWII (0.3%), WWII (0.2%), pre-Korea (0.1%), Korea (0.8%), and pre-Vietnam
(1.7%). See HCHV report, p. 48.
h. For the DCHV program, the line showing the percentage of veterans serving prior to the Vietnam era
aggregates four eras: WWII (0.0%), pre-Korea (0.0%), Korea (0.2%), and pre-Vietnam (1.0%). See DCHV
report, p. 41.
i.
For the CWT/TR program, the line showing the percentage of veterans serving prior to the Vietnam era
aggregates two eras: Korea (0.0%) and pre-Vietnam (0.3%).
j.
The HCHV, DCHV, and CWT/TR programs use intake forms that specify the Persian Gulf Era as August
1990 to the present. See HCHV program report, p. 352; DCHV program report, p. 21; and the CWT
program report, p. 15. The HUD-VASH program separately reports Persian Gulf as ending on September
10, 2001 (18.7%) and service since September 11, 2001 (1.9%).
k. The HCHV program report categorizes those assessed as student/service.
l.
The HUD VASH report includes categories for military (1.0%) and student (1.8%).
m. Dual diagnosis refers to having both a substance use disorder and a serious psychiatric diagnosis.
Overrepresentation of Veterans in the
Homeless Population
Until the advent of the Veterans Supplement to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report, research
that captures information about homeless veterans had not been conducted on a regular,
systematic basis. However, in addition to HUD’s ongoing efforts to collect information about
homeless individuals, the VA’s relatively new National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans
is conducting a variety of research studies. One of the studies released by the VA research center
builds on earlier research about whether veterans are overrepresented in the homeless population
using 2009 data from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). This section
discusses previous studies regarding the overrepresentation of veterans in the homeless
population and the VA’s more recent findings.
There are several prominent homelessness surveys from which much of the data regarding
homeless veterans is drawn.
• Possibly the most comprehensive national data collection effort regarding
persons experiencing homelessness prior to HMIS took place in 1996 as part of
the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC),
when researchers interviewed thousands of homeless assistance providers and
homeless individuals across the country.27
• Prior to the NSHAPC, in 1987, researchers from the Urban Institute surveyed
nearly 2,000 homeless individuals and clients in large cities nationwide as part of
a national study.28 The data from the NSHAPC and Urban Institute surveys

27 Martha R. Burt, Laudan Y. Aron, et al., Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve: Findings of the
National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, Technical Report, December 1999, available at
http://www.huduser.org/publications/homeless/homeless_tech.html.
28 Martha R. Burt and Barbara E. Cohen, America’s Homeless: Numbers, Characteristics, and Programs that Serve
Them (Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press, July 1989).
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served as the basis for more in-depth research regarding homeless veterans, but
did not include veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• In 2012, the VA released research using 2009 HMIS data from seven
communities, called “Continuums of Care,” which included veterans from the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.29
Results from a total of five studies using these and other data are presented here. The studies all
looked at veterans as a percentage of the general population compared to veterans as a percentage
of the homeless population and determined the likelihood of veterans to be homeless compared to
non-veterans. The data in each of the studies relied on samples of homeless individuals, and
adjustments were made for such factors as age and race.
In each of the studies, both male and female veterans were more likely to be homeless than their
nonveteran counterparts.30 This was not always the case, however. Although veterans have always
been present among the homeless population, the studies from the 1980s and 1990s found that
cohorts serving in the Vietnam31 and post-Vietnam eras were overrepresented while veterans of
World War II and Korea were less likely to be homeless than their nonveteran counterparts.32 The
VA study using 2009 HMIS data also found that Vietnam and post-Vietnam veterans were
overrepresented.
Overrepresentation of Male Veterans
Two earlier national studies—one published in 1994 using data from the 1987 Urban Institute
survey (as well as data from surveys in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Chicago), and the other
published in 2001 using data from the 1996 NSHAPC—found that male veterans were
overrepresented in the homeless population. In addition, researchers in both studies determined
that the likelihood of homelessness depended on the ages of veterans.33 During both periods of
time, the odds of a veteran being homeless were highest for veterans who had enlisted after the
military transitioned to an all-volunteer force (AVF) in 1973. These veterans were age 20-34 at
the time of the first study, and age 35-44 at the time of the second study.
In the first study, researchers found that 41% of adult homeless men were veterans, compared to
just under 34% of adult males in the general population. Overall, male veterans were 1.4 times as

29 See Jamison Fargo, Stephen Metraux, and Thomas Byrne, et al., “Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S.
Veterans,” Preventing Chronic Disease, vol. 9 (January 26, 2012), http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/11_0112.htm
(hereinafter Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans). In addition, preliminary information had
been made available on the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans website, http://www.va.gov/
HOMELESS/docs/Center/Prevalence_Final.pdf.
30 See Gail Gamache, Robert Rosenheck, and Richard Tessler, “The Proportion of Veterans Among Homeless Men: A
Decade Later,” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 36, no. 10 (October 2001): 481 (hereinafter, “The
Proportion of Homeless Veterans Among Men: A Decade Later”). “Overrepresentation of Women Veterans Among
Homeless Women,” p. 1134; and Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans, Table 2.
31 Generally, the Vietnam era is defined as the period from 1964 to 1975. 38 U.S.C. §101(29)(B).
32 Alvin S. Mares and Robert A. Rosenheck, “Perceived Relationship Between Military Service and Homelessness
Among Homeless Veterans with Mental Illness,” The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 192, no. 10 (October
2004): 715.
33 See Robert Rosenheck, Linda Frisman, and An-Me Chung, “The Proportion of Veterans Among Homeless Men,”
American Journal of Public Health 84, no. 3 (March 1994): 466 (hereinafter, “The Proportion of Homeless Veterans
Among Men”); “The Proportion of Veterans Among Homeless Men: A Decade Later,” p. 481.
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likely to be homeless as nonveterans.34 Notably, though, veterans who served after the Vietnam
War were four times more likely to be homeless than nonveterans in the same age group.35
Vietnam era veterans, who are often thought to be the most overrepresented group of homeless
veterans, were barely more likely to be homeless than nonveterans (1.01 times). (See Table 3 for
a breakdown of the likelihood of homelessness based on age.)
In the second study, researchers found that nearly 33% of adult homeless men were veterans,
compared to 28% of males in the general population. Once again, the likelihood of homelessness
differed among age groups. Overall, male veterans were 1.25 times more likely to be homeless
than nonveterans.36 However, the same post-Vietnam cohort as that in the 1994 study was most at
risk of homelessness; those veterans in the cohort were more than three times as likely to be
homeless as nonveterans in the same cohort. Younger veterans, those age 20-34 in 1996, were two
times as likely to be homeless as nonveterans. And Vietnam era veterans were approximately 1.4
times as likely to be homeless as their nonveteran counterparts. (See Table 3.)
The study produced by the VA using 2009 HMIS data from seven jurisdictions similarly found
higher rates of homelessness for male veterans than their presence in the general population
would indicate (13.6% of homeless adult men were veterans compared to 13.4% of the general
population), and that they were 1.3 times more likely to be homeless than males generally. In
addition, the study noted similar cohort effects to the earlier research. Veterans age 45-54, those
who served in the early years of the AVF, were generally at a higher risk of homelessness
compared to male veterans in other cohorts—African American veterans age 45-54 were 1.4
times more likely to be homeless, and non-Black veterans were 2.0 times as likely to be homeless
as their nonveteran counterparts.37 Table 3 contains results from the VA study, broken down by
age, race, and gender.
Overrepresentation of Female Veterans
As with male veterans, research has shown that women veterans are more likely to be homeless
than women who are not veterans. A study published in 2003 examined two data sources, one a
survey of mentally ill homeless women, and the other the NSHAPC, and found that 4.4% and
3.1% of homeless persons surveyed were female veterans, respectively (compared to
approximately 1.3% of the general population).38 Although the likelihood of homelessness was
different for each of the two surveyed populations, the study estimated that female veterans were
between two and four times as likely to be homeless as their nonveteran counterparts.39 Unlike
male veterans, all birth cohorts were more likely to be homeless than nonveterans. However, with
the exception of women veterans age 35-55 (representing the post-Vietnam era), who were
between approximately 3.5 and 4.0 times as likely to be homeless as nonveterans, cohort data
were not consistent between the two surveys. (See Table 3 for a breakdown of likelihood of
homelessness by cohort.)

34 “The Proportion of Homeless Veterans Among Men,” p. 467.
35 Ibid.
36 “The Proportion of Homeless Veterans Among Men: A Decade Later,” p. 483.
37 Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans, Table 2.
38 “Overrepresentation of Women Veterans Among Homeless Women,” p. 1133.
39 Ibid., p. 1134.
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The VA study that used 2009 HMIS data to determine the likelihood of homelessness among
veterans contains more detailed data on women veterans, including risk of homelessness broken
down by age and race (Black and non-Black). All women veterans, regardless of age or race, face
an increased risk of homelessness, according to the study. Overall, women veterans are 2.1 times
more likely to be homeless than their nonveteran counterparts.40 While women veterans of older
ages were more likely to be homeless than their age-group counterparts, researchers found that, in
general, younger women veterans, especially African American women, were more likely to be
homeless than older women veterans.41
Table 3. Results from Five Studies: Veterans as a Percentage of the Homeless
Population and Likelihood of Experiencing Homelessness
Odds Ratio (Likelihood
Veterans as a
Veterans as a
of Homelessness
Percentage of the
Percentage of the
among Veterans vs.
Veteran Group
General Populationa
Homeless Population
Nonveterans)
Men (data 1986-1987)b 33.6 41.2 1.38
Age
20-34
10.0
30.6
3.95
Age
35-44
36.9
37.2
1.01
Age
45-54
44.8
58.7
1.75
Age
55-64
69.9
61.7
0.69

Age 65 and Older
46.3
37.4
0.71
Men (data 1996)c
28.0 32.7 1.25
Age
20-34
7.7
14.5
2.04
Age
35-44
13.8
33.7
3.17
Age
45-54
38.4
46.5
1.39
Age
55-64
48.7
45.8
0.89f

Age 65 and Older
62.6
59.5
0.88f
Non-Black Men (data 2009)g 13.6
13.4
1.3
Age
18-29
2.1
2.7
1.3
Age
30-44
5.9
7.6
1.3
Age
45-54
9.8
19.6
2.0
Age
55-64
27.6
30.6
1.1

Age 65 and Older
45.4
33.7
0.7
Black Men (data 2009)g 11.8 13.7 1.4
Age
18-29
1.9
3.8
2.0
Age
30-44
7.3
8.2
1.1
Age
45-54
14.7
21.0
1.4
Age
55-64
23.0
31.9
1.4

40 Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans, Table 2.
41 Ibid., Discussion section.
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Odds Ratio (Likelihood
Veterans as a
Veterans as a
of Homelessness
Percentage of the
Percentage of the
among Veterans vs.
Veteran Group
General Populationa
Homeless Population
Nonveterans)

Age 65 and Older
33.2
32.3
1.0
Women (data 1994-1998)d 1.3
4.4
3.58
Age
20-34
—
—
3.61
Age
35-44
—
—
3.48
Age
45-54
—
—
4.42

Age 55 and Older
—
—
1.54f
Women (data 1996)e 1.2 3.1 2.71
Age
20-34
—
—
1.60f
Age
35-44
—
—
3.98
Age
45-54
—
—
2.00f

Age 55 and Older
—
—
4.40
Non-Black Women (data 2009)g
0.9 1.6 2.1
Age
18-29
0.5
1.0
2.0
Age
30-44
0.8
1.3
1.6
Age
45-54
1.2
3.1
2.5
Age
55-64
1.0
3.1
3.1

Age 65 and Older
1.1
2.4
2.1
Black Women (data 2009)g
1.1 2.0 1.9
Age
18-29
0.6
1.0
1.7
Age
30-44
1.6
3.2
1.9
Age
45-54
1.7
2.7
1.6
Age
55-64
0.9
1.8
1.9

Age 65 and Older
0.6
1.4
2.6
Sources: Robert Rosenheck, Linda Frisman, and An-Me Chung, “The Proportion of Veterans Among Homeless
Men,” American Journal of Public Health 84, no. 3 (March 1994): 466-469; Gail Gamache, Robert Rosenheck, and
Richard Tessler, “The Proportion of Veterans Among Homeless Men: A Decade Later,” Social Psychiatry and
Psychiatric Epidemiology 36, no. 10 (October 2001): 481-485; Gail Gamache, Robert Rosenheck, and Richard
Tessler, “Overrepresentation of Women Veterans Among Homeless Women,” American Journal of Public Health
93, no. 7 (July 2003): 1132-1136; and Jamison Fargo, Stephen Metraux, and Thomas Byrne, et al., “Prevalence and
Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans,” Preventing Chronic Disease, vol. 9 (January 26, 2012),
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2012/11_0112.htm.
a. Data are from the Current Population Survey.
b. Data are from the Urban Institute Study and three community surveys conducted between 1985 and 1987.
c. Data are from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC).
d. Data are from the Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports sample of women with
mental illness.
e. Data are from the NSHAPC.
f.
Not statistically significant.
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g. Data are from the American Community Survey and from seven Continuums of Care: New York City; San
Jose/Santa Clara County, CA; Columbus/Franklin County, OH; Denver, CO; Tampa/Hillsborough County,
FL; Phoenix/Maricopa County, AZ; and Lansing/Ingham County, MI.
Why Are Veterans Overrepresented in the Homeless Population?
While data collection regarding the number and prevalence of veterans in the homeless
population has improved, information about why homeless veterans are more likely to be
homeless than nonveterans is less investigated. The recent VA report about the risk and
prevalence of homelessness among veterans noted that
[t]he presence of additional risk for homelessness specifically associated with Veteran status
is puzzling in that it occurs among a population that shows better outcomes on almost all
socioeconomic measures and that has exclusive access to an extensive system of benefits that
include comprehensive healthcare services, disability and pension assistance, and homeless
services. Explanations to account for this risk go beyond the basic demographic factors
explained here, and underscore the need for identifying other correlates of homelessness
among the Veteran population as the basis for prevention efforts.42
While researchers have attempted to explain why veterans are homeless in higher proportions
than their numbers in the general population, as with some of the studies already discussed in this
report, findings are somewhat dated and do not include veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, previous research, which has found that factors present both prior to military service
and those that developed during or after service are associated with veterans’ homelessness, could
also be applicable to today’s returning veterans.
Most of the evidence about factors associated with homelessness among veterans comes from
The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) conducted from 1984 to 1988.43
Researchers for the NVVRS surveyed 1,600 Vietnam theater veterans (those serving in Vietnam,
Cambodia, or Laos) and 730 Vietnam era veterans (who did not serve in the theater) to determine
their mental health status and their ability to readjust to civilian life. The NVVRS did not
specifically analyze homelessness. However, a later study, published in 1994, used data from the
NVVRS to examine homelessness specifically.44 Findings from both studies are discussed below.
Factors Present During and After Military Service
Although researchers have not found that military service alone is associated with
homelessness,45 it may be associated with other factors that contribute to homelessness. The

42 The quote appeared in preliminary VA research using the 2009 HMIS data. See Jamison Fargo, Stephen Metraux,
and Thomas Byrne, et al., Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans: A Multisite Investigation, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs , August 2011, p. 24, http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/docs/Center/
Prevalence_Final.pdf (hereinafter Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans: A Multisite
Investigation).
43 The NVVRS was undertaken at the direction of Congress as part of P.L. 98-160, the Veterans Health Care
Amendments of 1983.
44 Robert Rosenheck and Alan Fontana, “A Model of Homelessness Among Male Veterans of the Vietnam War
Generation,” The American Journal of Psychiatry 151, no. 3 (March 1994): 421-427 (hereinafter, “A Model of
Homelessness Among Male Veterans of the Vietnam War Generation”).
45 See, for example, Alvin S. Mares and Robert Rosenheck, “Perceived Relationship Between Military Service and
Homelessness Among Homeless Veterans With Mental Illness,” Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 192, no. 10
(continued...)
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NVVRS found an indirect connection between the stress that occurs as a result of deployment and
exposure to combat, or “war-zone stress,” and homelessness. Vietnam theater and era veterans
who experienced war-zone stress were found to have difficulty readjusting to civilian life,
resulting in higher levels of problems that included social isolation, violent behavior, and, for
white male veterans, homelessness.46
The 1994 study of Vietnam era veterans (hereinafter referred to as the Rosenheck/Fontana study)
evaluated 18 variables that could be associated with homelessness. The study categorized each
variable in one of four groups according to when they occurred in the veteran’s life: pre-military,
military, the one-year readjustment period, and the post-military period subsequent to
readjustment.47 Variables from each time period were found to be associated with homelessness,
although their effects varied. The two military factors—combat exposure and participation in
atrocities—did not have a direct relationship to homelessness. However, those two factors did
contribute to (1) low levels of social support upon returning home, (2) psychiatric disorders (not
including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)), (3) substance use disorders, and (4) being
unmarried (including separation and divorce). Each of these four post-military variables, in turn,
contributed directly to homelessness.48 In fact, social isolation, measured by low levels of support
in the first year after discharge from military service, together with the status of being unmarried,
had the strongest association with homelessness of the 18 factors examined in the study.49
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Researchers examining factors related to homelessness have not found a direct relationship
between PTSD and homelessness. The Rosenheck/Fontana study “found no unique association
between combat-related PTSD and homelessness.”50 An unrelated study determined that homeless
combat veterans were no more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than combat veterans who were
not homeless.51 However, the NVVRS found that PTSD was significantly related to other
psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, problems in interpersonal relationships, and
unemployment.52 These conditions can lead to readjustment difficulties and are considered risk
factors for homelessness.53

(...continued)
(October 2004): 715.
46 Richard A. Kulka, John A. Fairbank, B. Kathleen Jordan, and Daniel S. Weiss, Trauma and the Vietnam War
Generation: Report of Findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (Levittown, PA:
Brunner/Mazel, 1990), 142.
47 The first category consisted of nine factors: year of birth, belonging to a racial or ethnic minority, childhood poverty,
parental mental illness, experience of physical or sexual abuse prior to age 18, other trauma, treatment for mental
illness before age 18, placement in foster care before age 16, and history of conduct disorder. The military category
contained three factors: exposure to combat, participation in atrocities, and non-military trauma. The readjustment
period consisted of two variables: accessibility to someone with whom to discuss personal matters and the availability
of material and social support (together these two variables were termed low levels of social support). The final
category contained four factors: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), psychiatric disorders not including PTSD,
substance abuse, and unmarried status.
48 “A Model of Homelessness Among Male Veterans of the Vietnam War Generation,” p. 424.
49 Ibid., p. 425.
50 “A Model of Homelessness Among Male Veterans of the Vietnam War Generation,” p. 425.
51 Robert Rosenheck, Catherine A. Leda, Linda K. Frisman, Julie Lam, and An-Me Chung, “Homeless Veterans” in
Homelessness in America, ed. Jim Baumohl (Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1996), 99 (hereinafter, “Homeless Veterans”).
52 Robert Rosenheck, Catherine Leda, and Peggy Gallup, “Combat Stress, Psychosocial Adjustment, and Service Use
(continued...)
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Factors that Pre-date Military Service
According to research, factors that predate military service also play a role in homelessness
among veterans. The Rosenheck/Fontana study found that three variables present in the lives of
veterans before they joined the military had a significant direct relationship to homelessness.
These were exposure to physical or sexual abuse prior to age 18; exposure to other traumatic
experiences, such as experiencing a serious accident or natural disaster, or seeing someone killed;
and placement in foster care prior to age 16.54 The researchers also found that a history of conduct
disorder had a substantial indirect effect on homelessness.55 Conduct disorder includes behaviors
such as being suspended or expelled from school, involvement with law enforcement, or having
poor academic performance. Another pre-military variable that might contribute to homelessness
among veterans is a lack of family support prior to enlistment.56
The conditions present in the lives of veterans prior to military service, and the growth of
homelessness among veterans, have been tied to the institution of the all volunteer force (AVF) in
1973. As discussed earlier in this report, the overrepresentation of veterans in the homeless
population is most prevalent in the birth cohort that joined the military after the Vietnam War. It is
possible that higher rates of homelessness among these veterans are due to “lowered recruitment
standards during periods where military service was not held in high regard.”57 Individuals who
joined the military during the time after the implementation of the AVF might have been more
likely to have characteristics that are risk factors for homelessness.58
Federal Programs that Serve Homeless Veterans
The federal response to the needs of homeless veterans, like the federal response to homelessness
generally, began in the late 1980s. Congress, aware of the data showing that veterans were
disproportionately represented among homeless persons,59 began to hold hearings and enact
legislation in the late 1980s. Among the programs enacted were Health Care for Homeless
Veterans, Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans, and the Homeless Veterans Reintegration
Program. Also around this time, the first national group dedicated to the cause of homeless
veterans, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, was founded by service providers that
were concerned about the growing number of homeless veterans.

(...continued)
Among Homeless Vietnam Veterans,” Hospital and Community Psychiatry 42, no. 2 (February 1992): 148.
53 “Homeless Veterans,” p. 98.
54 “A Model of Homelessness Among Male Veterans of the Vietnam War Generation,” p. 426.
55 Ibid.
56 Richard Tessler, Robert Rosenheck, and Gail Gamache, “Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A Social
Selection Perspective,” Armed Forces & Society 29, no. 4 (Summer 2003): 511 (hereinafter, “Homeless Veterans of the
All-Volunteer Force: A Social Selection Perspective”).
57 Testimony of Robert Rosenheck, M.D., Director of Northeast Program Evaluation Center, Department of Veterans
Affairs, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 103rd Cong., 2nd sess., February 23, 1994.
58 “Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A Social Selection Perspective,” p. 510.
59 Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Veterans’ Administration FY1988 Budget, the Vet Center Program, and
Homeless Veterans Issues, 100th Cong., 1st sess., S.Hrg. 100-350, February 18 & 19, 1987, p. 2-6.
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While homeless veterans are eligible for and receive services through programs that are not
designed specifically for homeless veterans, the VA funds multiple programs to serve homeless
veterans. The majority of homeless programs are run through the Veterans Health Administration
(VHA), which administers health care programs for veterans.60 The Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA), which is responsible for compensation and pensions,61 education
assistance,62 home loan guarantees,63 and insurance, operates one program for homeless veterans.
In addition, the Department of Labor (DOL) is responsible for programs that provide employment
services for homeless veterans while the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
collaborates with the VA on two additional programs. Many of these programs are summarized in
this section.
The Department of Veterans Affairs
The majority of programs that serve homeless veterans are part of the Veterans Health
Administration (VHA), one of the three major organizations within the VA (the other two are the
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the National Cemetery Administration).64 The VHA
operates hospitals and outpatient clinics across the country through 21 Veterans Integrated
Service Networks (VISNs). Each VISN oversees between five and eleven VA hospitals as well as
outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and domiciliary care facilities. In all, there are 157 VA
hospitals, 750 outpatient clinics, 134 nursing homes, and 42 domiciliary care facilities across the
country. Many services for homeless veterans are provided in these facilities. In addition, the
VBA has made efforts to coordinate with the VHA regarding homeless veterans by placing
Homeless Veteran Outreach Coordinators (HVOCs) in its offices in order to assist homeless
veterans in their applications for benefits.
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
The first federal program to specifically address the needs of homeless veterans, Health Care for
Homeless Veterans (HCHV), was initially called the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill veterans
program.65 The program was created as part of an emergency appropriations act for FY1987 (P.L.
100-6) in which Congress allocated $5 million to the VA to provide medical and psychiatric care
in community-based facilities to homeless veterans suffering from mental illness.66 The law was

60 For more information about the VHA, see CRS Report R41944, Veterans’ Medical Care: FY2012 Appropriations,
by Sidath Viranga Panangala.
61 For more information about veterans benefits, see CRS Report RS22804, Veterans’ Benefits: Pension Benefit
Programs, by Umar Moulta-Ali and Carol D. Davis and CRS Report RL34626, Veterans’ Benefits: Disabled Veterans,
by Umar Moulta-Ali et al.
62 For more information about educational assistance, see CRS Report R42755, The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational
Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): Primer and Issues, by Cassandria Dortch; and CRS Report R42785, GI
Bills Enacted Prior to 2008 and Related Veterans’ Educational Assistance Programs: A Primer, by Cassandria Dortch.
63 For more information about the VA Loan Guaranty, see CRS Report R42504, VA Housing: Guaranteed Loans,
Direct Loans, and Specially Adapted Housing Grants, by Libby Perl.
64 For more information about the organization of the VA, see U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2010
Organizational Briefing Book, June 2010, http://www4.va.gov/ofcadmin/docs/vaorgbb.pdf.
65 In 1992, the VA began to refer to the program by its new name. VA FY1994 Budget Summary, Volume 2, Medical
Benefits, p. 2-63.
66 Shortly after the HCHV program was enacted in P.L. 100-6, Congress passed another law (P.L. 100-322) that
repealed the authority in P.L. 100-6 and established the HCHV program as a pilot program. The program was then
made permanent in the Veterans Benefits Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-114). The HCHV program is now codified at 38
(continued...)
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amended in 2012 so that all homeless veterans, whether suffering from mental illness or not, are
eligible for the program (P.L. 112-154). Through the HCHV program, VA medical center staff
conduct outreach to homeless veterans, provide care and treatment for medical, psychiatric, and
substance use disorders, and refer veterans to other needed supportive services.67 Although P.L.
100-6 provided priority for veterans whose illnesses were service-connected, veterans with non-
service-connected disabilities were also made eligible for the program. Within two months of the
program’s enactment, 43 VA Medical Centers had initiated programs to find and assist mentally
ill homeless veterans.68 Currently, 132 VA sites have implemented HCHV programs.69 The HCHV
program is authorized through December 31, 2013.70
Program Data
The HCHV program itself does not provide housing for veterans who receive services. However,
the VA was initially authorized to enter into contracts with non-VA service providers to place
veterans in residential treatment facilities so that they would have a place to stay while receiving
treatment. In FY2003, the VA shifted funding from contracts with residential treatment facilities
to the VA Grant and Per Diem program (described later in this section).71 Local funding for
residential treatment facilities continues to be provided by some VA medical center locations,
however. According to data from the VA, 3,083 veterans stayed in residential treatment facilities
in FY2010, with an average stay of about 72 days.72 The HCHV program as a whole treated
approximately 85,369 veterans in that same year.73
Of veterans screened for admission to HCHV, 55% had a serious psychiatric problem, about 60%
were dependent on alcohol and/or drugs, and 36% had both a psychiatric problem and a substance
use disorder.74 The VA reports housing and employment outcomes for veterans who participated
in HCHV and lived in residential treatment facilities. See Table 4 for outcomes reported in 2010.
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
Domiciliary care consists of rehabilitative services for physically and mentally ill or aged
veterans who need assistance, but are not in need of the level of care offered by hospitals and
nursing homes. Congress first provided funds for the Domiciliary Care program for homeless

(...continued)
U.S.C. §§2031-2034.
67 38 U.S.C. §2031, §2034.
68 Veterans Administration, Report to Congress of member agencies of the Interagency Council on Homelessness
pursuant to Section 203(c)(1) of P.L. 100-77, October 15, 1987.
69 Wesley J. Kasprow, Rani Desai, Diane DiLello, Leslie Cavallaro, and Nicole Harelik, Healthcare for Homeless
Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program
Evaluation Center, March 31, 2011, p. 3 (hereinafter, Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth
Annual Report).
70 The program was most recently authorized in the VA Major Construction Authorization and Expiring Authorities
Extension Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-191).
71 FY2004 VA Budget Justifications, p. 2-163.
72 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, pp. 123-124.
73 Ibid., p. 25. Note that the number of veterans treated differs from the number of new veterans assessed for
participation in the program; this number was 42,858 in FY2010.
74 Ibid., p. 28.
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veterans (DCHV) in 1987 through a supplemental appropriations act (P.L. 100-71). Prior to
enactment of P.L. 100-71, domiciliary care for veterans generally (now often referred to as
Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment programs) had existed since the 1860s. The program for
homeless veterans was implemented to reduce the use of more expensive inpatient treatment,
improve health status, and reduce the likelihood of homelessness through employment and other
assistance. Congress has appropriated funds for the DCHV program since its inception.
Program Data
The DCHV program operates at 43 VA medical centers and has 2,233 beds available.75 In
FY2010, the number of veterans completing treatment was 6,197.76 Of those admitted to DCHV
programs, 89.3% were diagnosed with a substance use disorder, more than two-thirds (69.6%)
were diagnosed with serious mental illness, and 62.2% had both diagnoses.77 The average length
of stay for veterans in FY2010 was about 114 days, during which they received medical,
psychiatric, and substance abuse treatment, as well as vocational rehabilitation. The VA reports
housing and employment outcomes for veterans who participate in DCHV. See Table 4 for
outcomes reported in 2010.
Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence Program
The Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program has existed at the VA in some form since the
1930s.78 The program was authorized in P.L. 87-574 as “Therapeutic and Rehabilitative
Activities,” and was substantially amended in P.L. 94-581, an act that amended various aspects of
veteran health care programs.79 The CWT program is permanently authorized through the VA’s
Special Therapeutic and Rehabilitation Activities Fund.80
The goal of the CWT program is to give veterans with disabilities work experience and skills so
that they may re-enter the workforce and maintain employment on their own. The VA either
employs veterans directly (in FY2010, 48.6% of veterans in the CWT program worked for the
VA81), finds work for veterans at other federal agencies, or enters into contracts with private
companies or nonprofit organizations that then provide veterans with work opportunities.
Veterans must be paid wages commensurate with those wages in the community for similar work,

75 Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda Baldino, and Rani Desai, Twenty-Second Progress Report on the
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, FY2010, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program
Evaluation Center, April 19, 2011, p. 2 (hereinafter, Twenty-Second Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for
Homeless Veterans Program).
76 Ibid., p. 36. The VA has two numbers for the number of veterans who were treated and discharged from the DCHV
program in FY2010. The 6,197 number is based on completion of a particular form (Form Z) by domiciliary locations.
When that number is augmented by patient treatment files coded as domiciliary care, the number is 7,880.
Characteristics of veterans treated in the DCHV program are based on the 6,197 for which Form Z was completed.
77 Ibid., p. 45.
78 Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, report to accompany S. 2908, 94th Cong., 2nd sess., S.Rept. 94-1206, September
9, 1976.
79 The CWT program is codified at 38 U.S.C. §1718.
80 38 U.S.C. §1718(c).
81 Sandra D. Resnick, Richard Kaczynski, Debbie Sieffert, et. al., Fourteenth Progress Report on the Compensated
Work Therapy (CWT) Program, Fiscal Year 2010, Department of Veterans Affairs Northeast Program Evaluation
Center, Table 3.4(1) (hereinafter, Fourteenth Progress Report on the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program).
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and through the experience the goal is that participants will improve their chances of living
independently and reaching self sufficiency. In 2003, the Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset, and
Business Improvement Act (P.L. 108-170) added work skills training, employment support
services, and job development and placement services to the activities authorized by the CWT
program.
In 1991, as part of P.L. 102-54, the Veterans Housing, Memorial Affairs, and Technical
Amendments Act, Congress added the Therapeutic Transitional Housing component to the CWT
program. The housing component is authorized through December 31, 2013.82 The purpose of the
program is to provide housing to participants in the CWT program who have mental illnesses or
chronic substance use disorders and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.83 Although the
law initially provided that both the VA itself or private nonprofit organizations, through contracts
with the VA, could operate housing, the law was subsequently changed so that only the VA now
owns and operates housing.84 The housing is transitional—up to 12 months—and veterans who
reside there receive supportive services. As of FY2009, the VA operated 42 transitional housing
facilities with 633 beds.85
Program Data
In FY2010, 11,277 veterans were admitted into the CWT program, 54% of whom were homeless.
Similar to those veterans who enter into the VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans and
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans programs, large percentages of veterans engaged in the
CWT program in FY2010 suffered from serious mental illness and substance use disorders. Of
those admitted to the CWT program, 72.1% of veterans had a substance use disorder, 66.5% had
serious mental illness, and 45.7% were dually diagnosed (i.e., had both a substance use disorder
and mental illness).86 In addition, 80.3% of participants were found to have a disabling medical
condition, with nearly all participants (99.5%) having a psychiatric disorder or disabling medical
condition or both.87
Of those who were discharged from the program (11,267 veterans), more than half (57.4%) left
through a mutually agreed upon or planned discharge.88 The VA reports housing and employment
outcomes for all veterans who were admitted to CWT. See Table 4 for outcomes reported in
2010.

82 The program was last authorized as part of the VA Major Construction Authorization and Expiring Authorities
Extension Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-191). See 38 U.S.C. §2031.
83 The VA’s authority to operate therapeutic housing is codified at 38 U.S.C. §2032.
84 The provision for nonprofits was in P.L. 102-54, but was repealed by P.L. 105-114, §1720A(c)(1).
85 Catherine Leda Seibyl, Sharon Medak, Linda Baldino, and Timothy Cuerdon, Compensated Work
Therapy/Transitional Residence (CWT/TR) Program Fiscal Year 2009, Department of Veterans Affairs, Northeast
Program Evaluation Center, June 2010, report summary.
86 Fourteenth Progress Report on the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program, Table 1.4.
87 Ibid.
88 Ibid., Table 1.5.
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Grant and Per Diem Program
Initially called the Comprehensive Service Programs, the Grant and Per Diem program was
introduced as a pilot program in 1992 through the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Services
Act (P.L. 102-590). The law establishing the Grant and Per Diem program, which was made
permanent in the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Services Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-95),
authorizes the VA to make grants to public entities or private nonprofit organizations to provide
services and transitional housing to homeless veterans.89
The Grant and Per Diem program is authorized at $250 million for FY2013 and $150 million for
each fiscal year thereafter (P.L. 112-154). Prior to 2001, the program had been permanently
authorized at $150 million per year (P.L. 110-387). However, Congress increased the
authorization level in FY2010 through FY2012 (P.L. 112-37) and FY2013 (P.L. 112-154) to
comport with amounts that the VA estimated were needed for the program in each of these fiscal
years.90
The program has two parts: grant and per diem. Eligible grant recipients may apply for funding
for one or both parts. The grants portion provides capital grants to acquire, construct, expand, or
remodel facilities so that they are suitable for use as either service centers or transitional housing
facilities.91 The capital grants will fund up to 65% of the costs of acquisition, construction,
expansion, or remodeling of facilities.92 Grants may also be used to procure vans for outreach and
transportation of homeless veterans. The per diem portion of the program reimburses grant
recipients for the costs of providing housing and supportive services to homeless veterans. The
supportive services that grantees may provide include outreach activities, food and nutrition
services, health care, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, case management, child
care, assistance in obtaining housing, employment counseling, job training and placement
services, and transportation assistance.93 Organizations may apply for per diem funds alone
(without capital grant funds), as long as they would be eligible to apply for and receive capital
grants.
As part of the FY2012 Grant and Per Diem application process, the VA encouraged providers to
enter into a new arrangement with veterans called “transition in place.”94 Rather than dedicating
transitional housing to homeless veterans who move on after 24 months, under the transition in
place concept, providers own or lease apartments that are used by eligible veterans, with the idea
that veterans remain there and take over the lease once the transition period ends. The VA
awarded grants to 31 organizations that plan to use the transition in place model.95

89 The Grant and Per Diem program is codified at 38 U.S.C. §§2011-2013.
90 VA Budget Justifications for FY2012 and FY2013.
91 The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154) made
construction an eligible use of funds.
92 38 U.S.C. §2011(c).
93 38 CFR §61.1.
94 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Fund Availability Under VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem
Program,” 77 Federal Register 12648, March 1, 2012.
95 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA Approves $28 Million in Grants for Homeless Veterans,” press release,
September 19, 2012, http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/docs/GPD/GPDProgram_press_release_09192012.pdf.
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Program Rules and Data
The per diem portion of the Grant and Per Diem program pays organizations for the housing and
services that they provide to veterans at a fixed dollar rate for each bed that is occupied.96
Organizations apply to be reimbursed for the cost of care provided, not to exceed the current per
diem rate for domiciliary care. The per diem rate increases periodically; the current rate is $41.90
per day.97 The per diem portion of the program also compensates grant recipients for the services
they provide to veterans at service centers. Grantee organizations are paid at an hourly rate of
one-eighth of either the cost of services or the domiciliary care per diem rate. Any per diem
payments are offset by other funds that the grant recipient receives, so the per diem program can
be thought of as a payer of last resort, covering expenses after grantees have used funds from
other sources.
The Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans has recommended that the per diem
reimbursement system be revised to take account of service costs and geographic disparities
instead of using a capped rate, and to allow use of other funds (such as those authorized under the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants) without offset.98 The Honoring America’s
Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154) directed VA to study
the per diem payment method, and develop “more effective and efficient procedures” for
grantees’ fiscal control and fund accounting, as well as for adequately reimbursing grantees that
provide services to homeless veterans. In developing new procedures, the VA may take into
account other funds that grantees receive (whether federal, local, or private). The VA is to report
to Congress within a year of the enactment of P.L. 112-154 (the President signed the law on
August 6, 2012).
According to VA data, more than 400 Grant and Per Diem programs were funded in FY2010.
These providers had a total of 12,378 beds available for veterans and admitted 18,801 veterans
during the fiscal year.99 Veterans stayed an average of 179 days in Grant and Per Diem
transitional housing.100 The maximum amount of time a veteran may remain in housing is 24
months, with three total stays, though clients may stay longer “if permanent housing for the
veteran has not been located or if the veteran requires additional time to prepare for independent
living.”101 Majorities of veterans admitted into the program and later discharged during FY2010
reported alcohol problems (64.0%), drug problems (64.2%), and mental illness (59.4%).102 Of all
the veterans who received treatment through the program, 47% of treatment episodes were
considered successful, meaning that veterans “actively participated in accordance with treatment

96 38 CFR §61.33.
97 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website, GPD Program Description, accessed January 23, 2013,
http://www.va.gov/homeless/gpd.asp.
98 2009 Annual Report of the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, July 1, 2009, p. 9, http://www1.va.gov/
advisory/docs/ReportHomeless2009.pdf (hereinafter, 2009 Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans Report).
99 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, Table 5-1, p. 220.
100 Ibid., p. 196.
101 38 C.F.R. §61.80(d) and §61.33(e).
102 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, Table 5-11, p. 258.
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goals.”103 Of those discharged, 53.1% were living in an apartment, room, or house,104 and 24.1%
had full- or part-time employment.105 See Table 4.
Grant and Per Diem for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs
In 2001, Congress created a demonstration program to target grant and per diem funds to specific
groups of veterans (P.L. 107-95). The groups initially included women, women with children,
frail elderly veterans, veterans with terminal illnesses, and those with chronic mental illnesses.
Later, male veterans with children were added as part of the Honoring America’s Veterans and
Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154). The program was authorized at $5
million per year through FY2013 as part of the same legislation.
Table 4. Selected Outcomes for Veterans Served in VA Homeless Programs
FY2010
Health
Domiciliary
Compensated
Care for
Care for
Work
Grant and
Homeless
Homeless
Therapy
Per Diem
Veterans
Veteransa
Program
Program
Outcomes
(HCHV)
(DCHV)
(CWT)
(GPD)
Veteran Population Surveyed
3,083b 6,197c 11,267d 17,642e
Housing Outcomes
% Apartment, Room, House
35.5
54.8
64.5
53.1
Own Housing
— 30.2 45.2 —
Family or Friend
— 24.6 19.3 —
% Halfway House/Transitional Housing
29.4
21.8
19.5
18.5
% Hospital, Nursing Home, Domiciliary Care
—
5.7f 3.0h —
% None Identified
9.0
6.5g 3.4
7.2
% Prison or Jail
—
1.2
—h —
% Unknown
18.1
7.2
9.5
21.2
Employment Outcomes
% Ful -Time Employment
8.2
15.7
21.1
16.0
% Part-Time Employment
5.2
4.6
6.2
8.1
% Veterans Industries/CWT
8.4i 16.7 5.2j —
% Retired or with Disability
36.9
24.8
14.3
34.2
% Unemployed
34.8
27.8
46.6
27.8
% Training, Volunteer, Student
0.5
2.7
8.7
5.5
% Unknown
5.9k 6.1 13.0 8.3

103 Ibid., p. 196.
104 Ibid., Table 5-11, p. 258.
105 Ibid.
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Source: Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, Table 4-9 (HCHV) and Table 5-
11 (GPD), Twenty-Second Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, FY2010, Table 9;
and Thirteenth Progress Report on the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program, Table 1.6.
a. In both housing and employment outcomes, the DCHV report is the only one of the four to contain an
“other” category. For housing, this category was 3.0% of the total, and for employment it was 1.6%.
b. HCHV program outcomes are for veterans who resided in and were discharged from residential treatment
facilities.
c. DCHV outcomes are for veterans who were discharged from the program.
d. The CWT program reports outcomes for individuals discharged from the program.
e. Those in the GPD program include all individuals discharged.
f.
The DCHV further breaks this information down into those discharged to hospitals or nursing homes
(3.4%) and those who enter another domiciliary care program (2.3%).
g. DCHV reports this category as “shelter/outdoors.”
h. CWT includes those in jail with hospitals and nursing homes.
i.
HCHV refers to veterans working in “veterans industries.”
j.
For the CWT program, this category is for veterans engaged in the Incentive Therapy program.
k. HCHV includes “other” with unknown employment outcome.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families
In the 110th Congress, the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008
(P.L. 110-387) authorized a program of supportive services to assist very low-income veterans
and their families who either are making the transition from homelessness to housing or who are
moving from one location to another. Entities eligible for funds are private nonprofit
organizations and consumer cooperatives, and funds are made available through a competitive
process. Organizations that assist families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing
are given priority for funding under the law. Among the eligible services that recipient
organizations may provide are case management, health care services, daily living services,
assistance with financial planning, transportation, legal assistance, child care, and housing
counseling.
The first grants awarded under the program were announced on July 26, 2011, with $60 million
distributed to 85 nonprofit organizations in 40 states and the District of Columbia.106 The VA
announced FY2012 awards totaling $100 million in grants to 151 agencies in 49 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico on July 17, 2012.107 As of the date of this report, grants for
FY2013 had not been awarded.
The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-
154) authorized the program through FY2013 at $300 million for that year.

106 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA Launches New Prevention Initiative to Serve 22,000 Veteran Families at
Risk of Homelessness,” press release, July 26, 2011, http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2139.
107 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA Announces New Grants to Help End Veterans Homelessness: Initiative
Targets 42,000 Homeless and At-Risk Vets and Families,” press release, July 17, 2012, http://www.va.gov/opa/
pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2355.
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Enhanced Use Leases
The law governing Enhanced Use Leases (EULs), long a method for the VA to make productive
use of underutilized real property, was changed in 2012 to make homeless veterans and veterans
at risk of homelessness the sole beneficiaries of the program. Beginning in 1991, Congress gave
the VA the authority to enter into EULs with outside developers to improve, maintain, and make
use of VA property for a period of time. The arrangement was made possible as part of the
Veterans’ Benefits Programs Improvement Act (P.L. 102-86).108
Until 2012, the VA was able to enter into any lease that furthered the mission of the VA and
enhanced the use of the property or that would result in the improvement of medical care and
services to veterans in the geographic area.109 The maximum lease term was 75 years, and the VA
was to charge “fair consideration” for the lease, including in-kind payment.110 While EULs
involved non-housing purposes (e.g., child care centers, golf courses, and parking facilities), a
number of the EULs awarded prior to 2012 involved housing for homeless veterans.111
In 2012, as part of the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act
(P.L. 112-154), Congress limited the circumstances under which the VA may enter into EULs to
“the provision of supportive housing.” Supportive housing is defined as housing combined with
supportive services for veterans or their families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Among the types of housing that qualify are transitional, permanent, and single room occupancy
housing, congregate living, independent living, or assisted living facilities. Leases that were
entered into prior to January 1, 2012, will be subject to the law as it existed previously. While the
VA does not have to receive consideration for an EUL under the amended law, if it does receive
consideration, it may only be “cash at fair value,” and not in-kind payment. Each year, the VA is
to release a report about the consideration received for EULs.
Even prior to enactment of P.L. 112-154, the VA had made a commitment to use the EUL process
to benefit homeless veterans through the Building Utilization Review and Repurposing (BURR)
Initiative, the purpose of which is to provide housing for homeless veterans by identifying
underutilized VA properties. The VA has identified 34 properties suitable for use as transitional or
permanent housing for homeless veterans in which it will enter into EULs.112
Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Veterans
The Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Veterans program is operated through the Veterans
Benefits Administration (VBA). The program was enacted as part of the Veterans’ Home Loan
Program Improvements and Property Rehabilitation Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-198). The current

108 38 U.S.C. §§8161-8169.
109 38 U.S.C. §8162.
110 Ibid.
111 See Awarded Enhanced Use Lease Projects As of December 31, 2011, http://www.va.gov/oaem/docs/
awardedEulProjects.pdf.
112 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “VA to Expand Housing for Homeless Veterans and Their Families,” press
release, June 8, 2011, http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2113.
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version of the program was authorized in P.L. 102-54 (a bill to amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code),
and is authorized through December 31, 2013.113
Through the program, the VA is able to dispose of properties that it has acquired through
foreclosures on its loans so that they can be used for the benefit of homeless veterans.
Specifically, the VA can sell, lease, lease with the option to buy, or donate, properties to nonprofit
organizations and state government agencies that will use the property only as homeless shelters
primarily for veterans and their families.
VA and HUD Collaborations
HUD-VASH
The HUD-VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program began in 1992 as a collaboration
between the VA and HUD whereby HUD provided housing to homeless veterans through a set-
aside of tenant-based Section 8 vouchers and the VA provided supportive services. (Section 8
vouchers are a portable housing subsidy where tenants find rental housing on the private market
and HUD pays a portion of their rent.) The program targeted veterans with severe psychiatric or
substance use disorders and distributed approximately 1,753 Section 8 vouchers to veterans over
three years.114 Through the program, local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) administered the
Section 8 vouchers while local VA medical centers provided case management and clinical
services to participating veterans. After the initial voucher distributions, no new vouchers were
made available to homeless veterans for approximately 15 years—until FY2008—when HUD-
VASH was revived by Congress. This section of the report discusses the program’s progression.
HUD initially distributed Section 8 vouchers to PHAs through three competitions, in 1992, 1993,
and 1994. Prior to issuing the vouchers, HUD and the VA had identified medical centers with
Domiciliary Care and Health Care for Homeless Veterans programs that were best suited to
providing services. PHAs within the geographic areas of the VA medical centers were invited to
apply for vouchers. In the first year that HUD issued vouchers, 19 PHAs were eligible to apply,
and by the third year the list of eligible VA medical centers and PHAs had expanded to 87.115
HUD has not separately tracked these Section 8 vouchers, and, over the years, when veterans
have left the program and returned their vouchers to PHAs, the vouchers have not necessarily
been turned over to other veterans. The VA keeps statistics on veterans with vouchers who receive
treatment through the VA, however. In FY2008, the VA reported that there were 522 veterans
active in HUD-VASH case management.116

113 The program was most recently authorized in the VA Major Construction Authorization and Expiring Authorities
Extension Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-191). The program is codified at 38 U.S.C. §2041.
114 The first announcement of voucher availability was made in the Federal Register. See U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, “Invitation for FY1992 Section 8 Rental Voucher Set-Aside for Homeless Veterans with
Severe Psychiatric or Substance Abuse Disorders,” 57 Federal Register no. 55, p. 9955, March 20, 1992.
115 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Section 8 Set-Aside
for Homeless Veterans with Severe Psychiatric or Substance Abuse Disorders,” 59 Federal Register no. 134, p. 36015,
July 14, 1994.
116 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Second Annual Report, p. 279.
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In 2001, Congress codified the HUD-VASH program (P.L. 107-95) and authorized the creation of
an additional 500 vouchers for each year from FY2003 through FY2006.117 A bill enacted at the
end of the 109th Congress (P.L. 109-461) also provided the authorization for additional HUD-
VASH vouchers. However, it was not until FY2008 that Congress provided funding for additional
vouchers: the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161) included $75 million to fund
Section 8 vouchers for homeless veterans for one year (after the first year, funding for the
vouchers is absorbed into the tenant-based Section 8 account). Congress continued to fund new
vouchers in FY2009 (P.L. 111-8), FY2010 (P.L. 111-117), FY2011 (P.L. 112-10), FY2012 (P.L.
112-55), and FY2013 (P.L. 113-6) as well, appropriating $75 million in both FY2009 and
FY2010, $50 million in FY2011, and another $75 million in FY2012 and FY2013. Language in
each of the appropriations acts specified that the VA and HUD would determine the allocation of
vouchers based on geographic need as determined by the VA, PHA administrative performance,
and other factors that HUD and the VA may specify. Each law also provided that the vouchers
must be given to another veteran upon turnover.
The appropriations laws for HUD-VASH allow HUD to waive any statutory or regulatory
provision regarding the vouchers if it is necessary for the “effective delivery and administration”
of assistance.118 Pursuant to this provision, in the notice implementing the HUD-VASH program,
HUD waived the statutory requirement that vouchers be made available only to veterans with
mental illnesses and substance use disorders.119 In administering the vouchers, local VA medical
centers determine veteran eligibility for the program and veterans are then referred to partnering
PHAs. The PHAs review applicants only for income eligibility and to ensure that they are not
subject to lifetime sex offender registration.
The VA provides case management and services to participating veterans. The VA may also
contract with state or local government agencies, tribal organizations, or nonprofits to help
veterans find suitable housing and supportive services. The contract between the VA and the
outside service provider may occur in circumstances where (1) there is a shortage of affordable
rental housing and a veteran needs more assistance than the VA can provide, (2) a veteran does
not live near a local VA facility and it is impractical for the VA to provide assistance, or (3)
veterans in the area have lower than average success in obtaining housing when compared to
veterans participating in HUD-VASH overall.120
According to the VA, as of August 2013, 44,168 vouchers were under lease, with another nearly
4,000 veterans undergoing program approval or searching for housing.121 For the number of
vouchers funded in each fiscal year, see Table 6.
Project-Based HUD-VASH Vouchers
HUD allows PHAs to project base their HUD-VASH vouchers. When vouchers are project based,
they are attached to a specific unit of housing and do not move when the tenant moves. This may
be desirable in housing markets where it is difficult to find housing providers who accept

117 42 U.S.C. §1437f(o)(19).
118 The exceptions are provisions involving fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment.
119 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Implementation of the
HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program,” 73 Federal Register 25027, May 6, 2008.
120 See the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154).
121 VA summary of HUD-VASH voucher performance provided to CRS.
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vouchers, and it may be a more efficient arrangement for providing supportive services. Initially,
HUD limited the number of project-based vouchers to 50% of a PHA’s total VASH allocation, but
on September 15, 2011, HUD released a notice removing the 50% limit.122 However, PHAs must
still adhere to the requirements that the funding allocated for project-based vouchers does not
exceed 20% of the PHA’s total tenant-based voucher budget (for all vouchers, not just those used
by veterans), and that the local VA medical center must agree to the plan. If a veteran lives in a
unit where HUD-VASH vouchers have been project based and wants to move, the PHA must
provide the tenant with a Section 8 voucher or other tenant-based assistance.
On the same day that the third FY2010 voucher funding announcement was made, HUD released
a notice of available funding for project-based HUD-VASH vouchers from the remaining FY2010
appropriation.123 Funding for these project-based vouchers was awarded competitively, and any
PHA that received an allocation of HUD-VASH vouchers in FY2008, FY2009, or FY2010 was
eligible to apply. On June 13, 2011, HUD announced the award of 676 vouchers to PHAs in 18
states.124 Another three PHAs that had applied for vouchers from the FY2010 appropriation
received 99 vouchers funded through the FY2011 allocation. The VA announced the award on
September 19, 2011, stating that the award was made “to fund additional applications that
received high scores through HUD and VA’s review process.”125
Program Data and Evaluations
The VA has released demographic data about veterans participating in VA case management for
the HUD-VASH housing program between June 1, 2008, and September 30, 2010.126 Of veterans
who entered into HUD-VASH case management, 88.5% were men and 11.5% were women,
exceeding the percentage of women in the veteran population.127 While the average age of all
participants was 50, the average age for women was lower (46) than men (51). As with most
homeless veterans programs, the majority of participants served in the Vietnam (33.6%) or post-
Vietnam (37.2%) eras. For more information about participants, see Table 2.
Among veterans who participated in the earlier stages of HUD-VASH (receiving vouchers in the
1990s), long-term evaluations of the program have shown both improved housing and improved
substance use outcomes among veterans who received the vouchers over those who did not.128

122 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice PIH 2011-50, Project-Basing HUD-Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing Vouchers, September 15, 2011, http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=11-
50pihn.doc.
123 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice PIH 2010-40, Set-Aside Funding Availability for
Project-Basing HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers, September 28, 2010, http://portal.hud.gov/portal/
page/portal/HUD/program_offices/administration/hudclips/notices/pih/files/10-40pihn.pdf.
124 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing, Case
Management to Nearly 700 Homeless Veterans Across the U.S.,” press release, June 13, 2011, http://portal.hud.gov/
hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2011/HUDNo.11-118.
125 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing, Case Management to Nearly 100
Homeless Veterans,” press release, September 19, 2011, http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2173.
126 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Northeast Program Evaluation Center, Housing and Urban Development -
Department of Veterans Affairs Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH): Summary for Period June 1, 2008 -
September 30, 2010.
127 Ibid., Table 4.
128 Robert Rosenheck, Wesley Kasprow, Linda Frisman, and Wen Liu-Mares, “Cost-effectiveness of Supported
Housing for Homeless Persons with Mental Illness,” Archives of General Psychiatry 60 (September 2003): 940
(continued...)
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Veterans who received vouchers experienced fewer days of homelessness and more days housed
than veterans who received intensive case management assistance or standard care through VA
homeless programs alone.129 Analysis also found that veterans with HUD-VASH vouchers had
fewer days of alcohol use, fewer days on which they drank to intoxication, and fewer days of
drug use.130 HUD-VASH veterans were also found to have spent fewer days in institutions.131
Over the long term, veterans who received vouchers had a lower risk of returning to homelessness
than those who received intensive case management or standard assistance.132 Factors that
increased the risk of returning to homelessness were alcohol or drug dependence and a diagnosis
of PTSD.133 Lower risk was found among those with psychiatric problems, possibly due to
supportive services to assist those individuals with their housing.134
Demonstration Program to Prevent Homelessness Among Veterans
As part of the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8), Congress appropriated $10
million through the HUD Homeless Assistance Grants account to be used for a pilot program to
prevent homelessness among veterans. The appropriation law required that the program be
operated in a limited number of sites, at least three of which were to have a large number of
individuals transitioning from military to civilian life, and at least four of which were to be in
rural areas.
In July 2010, HUD issued a notice of implementation of the new demonstration program.135
HUD, in consultation with the VA and DOL, selected five geographic areas in which local
Continuums of Care (CoCs) would assign a grantee to carry out the prevention program. CoCs
are planning entities formed at the local level to determine how the community will address
homelessness. The areas were chosen based on the number of homeless veterans reported by the
local CoC and VA Medical Center, the number of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom veterans accessing VA health care, the presence and diversity of military sites
in the area (e.g., representation of different branches of the military, National Guard, and
Reserves), availability of VA health care, type of geographic area (urban versus rural), and the
community’s capacity to administer the prevention program. The five areas and corresponding
military bases selected were (1) San Diego, CA (Camp Pendleton); (2) Killeen, TX (Fort Hood);

(...continued)
(hereinafter, “Cost-effectiveness of Supported Housing for Homeless Persons with Mental Illness”). An-Lin Cheng,
Haiqun Lin, Wesley Kasprow, and Robert Rosenheck, “Impact of Supported Housing on Clinical Outcomes,” Journal
of Nervous and Mental Disease 195, no. 1 (January 2007): 83 (hereinafter, “Impact of Supported Housing on Clinical
Outcomes”).
129 “Cost-effectiveness of Supported Housing for Homeless Persons with Mental Illness,” p. 945.
130 “Impact of Supported Housing on Clinical Outcomes,” p. 85.
131 Ibid.
132 Maria J. O'Connell, Wesley Kasprow, and Robert A. Rosenheck, “Rates and Risk Factors for Homelessness After
Successful Housing in a Sample of Formerly Homeless Veterans,” Psychiatric Services, vol. 59, no. 3 (March 2008),
pp. 268-275.
133 Ibid., p. 270.
134 Ibid., p. 273.
135 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Notice of FY2009 Implementation of the Veterans
Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program, July 14, 2010, http://www.hudhre.info/documents/
VetsHomelessPreventionDemo.pdf.
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(3) Watertown, NY (Fort Drum); (4) Tacoma, WA (Joint Base Lewis-McChord); and (5) Tampa,
FL (MacDill Air Force Base).
The prevention program is to operate much like the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-
Housing Program that was created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L.
111-5). Funds may be used for short-term rental assistance (up to three months) or medium-term
rental assistance (4-18 months), for up to six months of rental arrears, for security or utility
deposits, utility payments, and help with moving expenses.136 Recipients may also use funds for
supportive services that help veterans and their families find and maintain housing such as case
management, housing search and placement, credit repair, child care, and transportation.137 To be
eligible, veterans and their families must meet the following criteria:138
• have income at or below 50% of the area median income;
• be experiencing short-term homelessness or be at risk of losing housing;
• lack the resources or support networks to obtain housing or remain housed; and
• be experiencing instability as evidenced by one of the following: (1) living on the
street or in shelter for less than 90 days, (2) being at least one month behind in
rent, (3) facing eviction within two weeks, (4) being discharged from an
institution, (5) living in condemned housing, (6) being behind on utility payments
by at least a month, (7) paying greater than 50% of income for housing, or (8)
facing a sudden and significant loss of income.
The Department of Labor
The Department of Labor (DOL) contains an office specifically dedicated to the employment
needs of veterans, the office of Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). In addition
to its program for homeless veterans—the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP)—
VETS funds employment training programs for all veterans. These include the Veterans
Workforce Investment Program and the Transition Assistance Program.
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program
Established in 1987 as part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77), the
HVRP was authorized most recently at $50 million through FY2013 as part of the Honoring
America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-154). In 2010,
the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-275) created a separate HVRP for women veterans
and veterans with children. The program, which includes child care among its services, is
authorized from FY2011 through FY2015 at $1 million per year.
The HVRP program has two goals. The first is to assist veterans in achieving meaningful
employment, and the second is to assist in the development of a service delivery system to
address the problems facing homeless veterans. Eligible grantee organizations are state and local
Workforce Investment Boards, local public agencies, and both for- and non-profit

136 Ibid., pp. 9-11.
137 Ibid., p. 11.
138 Ibid., pp. 13-14.
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organizations.139 Grantees receive funding for one year, with the possibility for two additional
years of funding contingent on performance and fund availability.140 The DOL awards grants
separately for urban and non-urban areas.
HVRP grantee organizations provide services that include outreach, assistance in drafting a
resume and preparing for interviews, job search assistance, subsidized trial employment, job
training, and follow-up assistance after placement. Recipients of HVRP grants also provide
supportive services not directly related to employment such as transportation, provision of
assistance in finding housing, and referral for mental health treatment or substance abuse
counseling. HVRP grantees often employ formerly homeless veterans to provide outreach to
homeless veterans and to counsel them as they search for employment and stability. In fact, from
the inception of the HVRP, it has been required that at least one employee of grantee
organizations be a veteran who has experienced homelessness.141
Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program
The Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-95) instituted a
demonstration program to provide job training and placement services to veterans leaving
prison.142 The program was most recently authorized through FY2012 as part of the Veterans’
Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-387). The new law removed
the program’s demonstration status, expanded the number of sites able to provide services to 12,
and changed the name slightly to “Referral and Counseling Services: Veterans at Risk of
Homelessness Who Are Transitioning from Certain Institutions.” The FY2013 Department of
Labor budget documents state that of the funds requested for HVRP, up to $4 million would be
used for this program.143
In program year (PY) 2010 (from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011), grantees through the
HVRP (including those targeted to serving women veterans) and the Incarcerated Veterans
Transition Program served a total of 15,951 homeless veterans, of whom 9,447 (or 59%) were
placed in employment.144 Of those placed, 64% retained employment for six months. The average
wage of veterans who were placed in employment was $10.48 per hour, and the average cost of
placing a veteran in employment was $3,295.
Stand Downs for Homeless Veterans
A battlefield stand down is the process in which troops are removed from danger and taken to a
safe area to rest, eat, clean up, receive medical care, and generally recover from the stress and

139 U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, Solicitation for Grant Applications, Urban
and Non-Urban Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) Grants For Program Year (PY) 2010, March 26,
2010, p. 21, http://www.dol.gov/vets/grants/2010/HVRP%20PY%202010%20SGA%20%28PDF%29.pdf.
140 Ibid., p. 18.
141 “Procedures for Preapplication for Funds; Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, FY1988” Federal
Register vol. 53, no. 70, April 12, 1988, p. 12089.
142 38 U.S.C. §2023.
143 U.S. Department of Labor, FY2013 Congressional Budget Justification, Volume III, Veterans’ Employment and
Training Service, p. VETS-26, http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V3-05.pdf.
144 U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistance Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, Annual
Report to Congress, FY2011, p. 13, http://www.dol.gov/vets/media/FY2011_Annual_Report_to_Congress.pdf.
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chaos of battle. Stand Downs for Homeless Veterans are modeled on the battlefield stand down
and are local events, staged annually in many cities across the country, in which local Veterans
Service Organizations, businesses, government entities, and other social service organizations
come together for up to three days to provide similar services for homeless veterans. Items and
services provided at stand downs include food, clothing, showers, haircuts, medical exams, dental
care, immunizations, and, in some locations where stand downs take place for more than one day,
shelter. Another important facet of stand downs, according to the National Coalition for Homeless
Veterans, is the camaraderie that occurs when veterans spend time among other veterans.
Although stand downs are largely supported through donations of funds, goods, and volunteer
time, the DOL VETS office may award both HVRP grant recipient organizations or other
organizations that would be eligible up to $10,000 to fund stand downs.145
Funding for Homeless Veterans Programs
Table 5, below, shows historical funding levels for six programs that target services to homeless
veterans. Following Table 5, Table 6 shows funding for housing provided through the HUD-VA
collaboration known as HUD-VASH. HUD has funded Section 8 vouchers for homeless veterans
since FY1992, but after the initial appropriation for the vouchers, HUD does not separately report
the amount of funds necessary to provide rental assistance for each of the vouchers in subsequent
years. Unlike programs included in Table 5, then, it is not possible to provide annual budget
authority or obligations for HUD-VASH. Table 6 contains information regarding the initial
budget authority needed to support the vouchers in the first year of appropriations.
Table 5. Funding for Selected Homeless Veterans Programs, FY1988-FY2012
(dollars in thousands)
Budget
Authority
(DOL
Obligations (VA Programs)
Program)
Compensated
HUD-VA
Health Care
Domiciliary
Work
Supported
Homeless
for
Care for
Therapy/
Grant and
Housing
Veterans
Fiscal
Homeless
Homeless
Therapeutic
Per Diem
(Supportive
Reintegration
Year
Veteransa
Veterans
Residence
Program
Services)b
Program
1988 12,932 15,000c NA NA NA 1,915
1989 13,252 10,367
NA
NA
NA 1,877
1990 15,000 15,000
NA
NA
NA 1,920
1991 15,461d 15,750
—d NA NA
2,018
1992 16,500d 16,500
—d NA
2,300
1,366
1993 22,150 22,300
400

NA 2,000 5,055
1994 24,513 27,140 3,051
8,000 3,235 5,055

145 U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, “FY2011 through FY2013 Stand Down
Grant Requests,” 76 Federal Register 13236-13239, March 10, 2011.
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Budget
Authority
(DOL
Obligations (VA Programs)
Program)
Compensated
HUD-VA
Health Care
Domiciliary
Work
Supported
Homeless
for
Care for
Therapy/
Grant and
Housing
Veterans
Fiscal
Homeless
Homeless
Therapeutic
Per Diem
(Supportive
Reintegration
Year
Veteransa
Veterans
Residence
Program
Services)b
Program
1995 38,585e 38,948 3,387
—e 4,270 107f
1996 38,433e 41,117 3,886
—e 4,829
0
1997 38,063e 37,214 3,628
—e 4,958
0
1998 36,407 38,489 8,612
5,886 5,084 3,000
1999 32,421 39,955 4,092 20,000 5,223 3,000
2000 38,381 34,434 8,068 19,640 5,137 9,636
2001 58,602 34,576 8,144 31,100 5,219 17,500
2002 54,135 45,443 8,028 22,431 4,729 18,250
2003 45,188 49,213 8,371 43,388 4,603 18,131
2004 42,905 51,829 10,240 62,965 3,375 18,888
2005 40,357 57,555 10,004 62,180 3,243 20,832
2006 56,998 63,592 19,529 63,621 5,297 21,780
2007 71,925 77,633 21,514 81,187 7,487 21,809
2008 77,656 96,098 21,497 114,696 4,854 23,620
2009 80,219 115,373 22,206 128,073 26,601 26,330
2010 109,727 175,979 61,205 175,057 71,137 36,330
2011 200,808 221,938 73,420 148,097 119,603 36,257h
2012 118,889 218,962 73,067 208,046 169,873 38,185i
Sources: Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Justifications, FY1989-FY2013, VA Office of Homeless
Veterans Programs, and Department of Labor Budget Justifications FY1989-FY2013.
a. Health Care for Homeless Veterans was originally called the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill veterans
program. In 1992, the VA began to use the title “Health Care for Homeless Veterans.”
b. This column contains only the funding al ocated from the VA for supportive services and does not include
the cost of providing housing.
c. Congress appropriated funds for the DCHV program for both FY1987 and FY1988 (P.L. 100-71), however,
the VA obligated the entire amount in FY1988. See VA Budget Summary for FY1989, Volume 2, Medical
Benefits, p. 6-10.
d. For FY1991 and FY1992, funds from the Homeless Chronical y Mental y Ill veterans program as wel as
substance abuse enhancement funds were used for the Compensated Work Therapy/Therapeutic
Residence program.
e. For FY1995 through FY1997, Grant and Per Diem funds were obligated with funds for the Health Care for
Homeless Veterans program. VA budget documents do not provide a separate breakdown of Grant and Per
Diem Obligations.
f.
Congress appropriated $5.011 mil ion for HVRP in P.L. 103-333. However, a subsequent rescission in P.L.
104-19 reduced the amount.
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g. The obligation amounts for FY2012 are estimates.
h. The FY2011 Department of Defense and Ful -Year Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-10) imposed an
across-the-board rescission of 0.2% on all discretionary accounts. The level for HVRP reflects this
rescission.
i.
The FY2012 appropriation for the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education contained an across-the-
board rescission of 0.189% on all discretionary accounts. The level for HVRP reflects this rescission.

Table 6. Funding for HUD-VASH
Number of
Years
Amount
Vouchers
Provided
Tenant-Based
Project-Based
Supported
(dollars in
Vouchers
Vouchers
with Amount
Fiscal Year
Public Law
millions)
Supported
Supported
Provided
1992 NAa 17.9b 750 — 5
1993 NAa 19.1c 750 — 5
1994 NAa 18.4d 700 — 5
2008 P.L.
110-161
75.0
10,150e — 1
2009 P.L.
111-8
75.0
10,290e — 1
2010 P.L.
111-117
75.0
9,510e 676f 1
2011 P.L.
112-10
50.0
6,815g 99h 1
2012 P.L.
112-55
75.0
10,450i — 1
2013 P.L.
113-6
75.0
9,865j — 1
Source: Sources for each voucher distribution are noted in the table notes, below.
a. Funding for FY1992 through FY1994 was set aside from Section 8 tenant-based appropriations.
b. The FY1992 announcement of the amount set aside and number of vouchers available was made in the
Federal Register. See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Invitation for FY1992 Section 8
Rental Voucher Set-Aside for Homeless Veterans with Severe Psychiatric or Substance Abuse Disorders,”
57 Federal Register no. 55, pp. 9955-9968, March 20, 1992.
c. The announcement of the availability of funding and amount of vouchers to be funded in 1993 was made in
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal
Year 1993, for the Section 8 Set Aside for Homeless Veterans With Severe Psychiatric or Substance Abuse
Disorders,” 58 Federal Register no. 188, pp. 51191-51206, September 30, 1993.
d. The announcement of 1994 vouchers was made in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
“Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Section 8 Set-Aside for Homeless Veterans with Severe Psychiatric or
Substance Abuse Disorders,” 59 Federal Register no. 134, pp. 36007-36015, July 14, 1994.
e. For a list of how the FY2008 through FY2010 tenant-based vouchers were al ocated to local housing
authorities, see http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/vash/docs/vash-awards.xls.
f.
The list of project-based vouchers for FY2010 is available at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/
huddoc?id=HUD-VASHPBVFY2010AWARDEES.PDF. See also, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing, Case Management to Nearly 700 Homeless
Veterans Across the U.S.,” press release, June 13, 2011, http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/
press_releases_media_advisories/2011/HUDNo.11-118.
g. A list showing how FY2011 tenant-based vouchers were distributed is available at http://portal.hud.gov/
hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=HUD-VASH2011CHART.PDF. See also, U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing and Support to Thousands of Homeless
Veterans,” press release, July 14, 2011, http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/
press_releases_media_advisories/2011/HUDNo.11-150.
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h. See Department of Veterans Affairs, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing, Case Management to
Nearly 100 Homeless Veterans,” press release, September 19, 2011, http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/
pressrelease.cfm?id=2173.
i.
See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HUD, VA to Provide Permanent Housing and
Support to More Than 10,000 Homeless Vets,” press release, March 27, 2012, http://portal.hud.gov/
hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-063 and “HUD, VA to
Provide Additional Housing and Support for Homeless Vets,” press release, June 13, 2012,
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-099.
j.
See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “HUD and VA Team Up to Provide Permanent
Housing to 9,000 Homeless Vets,” press release, May 29, 2013, http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/
press/press_releases_media_advisories/2013/HUDNo.13-082; “HUD and VA Announce More Vouchers to
Help Homeless Vets Get Into Permanent Homes,” press release, August 21, 2013, http://portal.hud.gov/
hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2013/HUDNo.13-127; and “HUD and VA
Announce More Vouchers to Help Homeless Vets Get Into Permanent Homes,” September 27, 2013,
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2013/HUDNo.13-146.
Issues Regarding Veterans and Homelessness
The VA Plan to End Veteran Homelessness
On November 3, 2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five
years.146 The VA outlined six areas of focus for the new plan in its FY2011 budget justifications:
(1) outreach and education, (2) treatment, (3) prevention, (4) housing and supportive services, (5)
employment and benefits, and (6) community partnerships.147 In the FY2011 through FY2013
budget documents, the VA laid out program expansions and implementation of new programs to
address homelessness:
• By FY2013, the VA planned to expand some of the existing homeless programs
discussed in this report. Specifically, the Grant and Per Diem Program would
serve 32,000 veterans (in FY2008, the program discharged 15,511 veterans), the
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program was to open three new 40-bed
facilities in FY2012 and planned to open two more in FY2013. HUD-VASH
continued to receive appropriations for additional vouchers through FY2012.
• The VA-HUD pilot to prevent veteran homelessness and the SSVF program have
both gotten underway, with grants awarded to service providers. The VA
expected to serve 1,900 veterans between 2011 and 2014 in the prevention pilot
and 42,000 veterans in the SSVF program in FY2012.
• The VA established a National Homeless Registry to keep records of veterans
served in homeless-specific programs and measure outcomes achieved. The VA
also established a National Call Center for homeless veterans that expects to
serve 52,000 veterans in 2013.
During the last several years, estimates of homeless veterans have fallen. VA estimates of the
number of veterans who were homeless on a given day fell from 154,000 in FY2007 to 131,000

146 See U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans,”
press release, November 3, 2009, http://www1.va.gov/OPA/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807.
147 FY2011 VA Budget Justifications, p. 1K-11.
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in FY2008, and then to 107,000 in FY2009. The most recent point-in-time estimate of homeless
veterans, from 2012, reported not-quite 63,000 homeless veterans, a reduction of nearly 5,000
from 2011 and nearly 14,000 from the 76,000 counted in 2010. (For more information, see the
section of this report entitled “Estimates of the Number of Homeless Veterans.”)
During this same time period, the need for permanent housing, as reported by homeless veterans
and those who provide services, has also declined. The VA’s annual “Community Homelessness
Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups” (CHALENG) report surveys homeless
veterans, as well as government and community service providers, about the most pressing unmet
needs among homeless veterans. Through FY2006, the highest priority unmet need according to
all respondents in the CHALENG reports was long-term permanent housing.148 However, in the
FY2007 report, permanent housing was the second-highest unmet need, behind child care.149 In
FY2008 and FY2009, it fell to the fourth-highest unmet need,150 and in FY2010, long-term
housing was the ninth in the list of unmet needs for veterans.151
One of the reasons that estimates of homeless veterans are declining and that the highest unmet
need is no longer housing could be an increasing emphasis on permanent supportive housing for
veterans. The permanent supportive housing model promotes stability by ensuring that residents
receive services tailored to their particular needs, including health care, counseling, employment
assistance, help with financial matters, and assistance with other daily activities that might
present challenges to a formerly homeless individual.
Historically, homeless programs targeted to veterans did not provide permanent supportive
housing (although veterans were eligible for housing through HUD’s homeless programs).
Instead, programs such as Grant and Per Diem offered transitional housing to help veterans
become stable, find employment, and eventually transition to permanent housing. However, after
leaving transitional housing, veterans competed with other needy groups—including elderly
residents, persons with disabilities, and families with young children—for government assisted
housing.152 With the advent of HUD-VASH (discussed earlier in this report), tens of thousands of
units of permanent supportive housing funded through the federal government have been targeted
to homeless veterans for the last five fiscal years. Congress has appropriated $350 million for the
program, an amount sufficient to fund nearly 48,000 vouchers for one year.153 The additional

148 John H. Kuhn and John Nakashima, The Fifteenth Annual Progress Report on P.L. 105-114: Services for Homeless
Veterans Assessment and Coordination, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, March 11, 2009, p. 14, (hereinafter The
Fifteenth Annual CHALENG Report).
149 John H. Kuhn and John Nakashima, The Fourteenth Annual Progress Report on P.L. 105-114: Services for
Homeless Veterans Assessment and Coordination, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, February 28, 2008, p. 8.
150 The Fifteenth Annual CHALENG Report, p. 10, and John H. Kuhn and John Nakashima, The Sixteenth Annual
Progress Report on P.L. 105-114: Services for Homeless Veterans Assessment and Coordination, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, March 17, 2010, p. 12.
151 John H. Kuhn and John Nakashima, The Seventeenth Annual Progress Report on P.L. 105-114: Services for
Homeless Veterans Assessment and Coordination, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, July 5, 2011, p. 12.
152 According to a 2007 GAO study, veteran households were underrepresented in HUD-assisted housing. GAO
estimated that 11% of low-income veteran renter households received HUD rental assistance compared to 19% of low-
income nonveteran renter households. Government Accountability Office, Information on Low-Income Veterans’
Housing Needs Conditions and Participation in HUD’s Programs, GAO-07-1012, August 17, 2007, p. 29, available at
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071012.pdf.
153 See the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161), the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L.
111-8), the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117), the FY2011 Department of Defense and Full-
Year Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-10), and the FY2012 Consolidated and Further Continuing
(continued...)
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Section 8 vouchers, as well as increased funding through VA program interventions (see Table 5),
could be making a difference in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness.
Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
As veterans return from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF),
just as veterans before them, they face risks that could lead to homelessness.
The VA reported that in FY2010, it assessed about 3,000 veterans who served in the OEF/OIF
theaters of operations for participation in its Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (an
increase over the 2,300 assessed in FY2009).154 Approximately 1.40 million OEF/OIF troops
have been separated from active duty and become eligible for VA health benefits since 2003.155 If
the experiences of the Vietnam War are any indication, the risk of becoming homeless continues
for many years after service. One study found that after the Vietnam War, 76% of Vietnam era
combat troops and 50% of non-combat troops who eventually became homeless reported that at
least 10 years passed between the time they left military service and when they became
homeless.156
A number of studies have examined the mental health status of troops returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan. According to one study of troops returning from Iraq published in the New England
Journal of Medicine, between 15% and 17% screened positive for depression, generalized
anxiety, and PTSD.157 Another study, conducted by the RAND Corporation, found that, of
veterans surveyed, 14% reported screening positive for PTSD and 14% for major depression.158
Veterans returning from Iraq also appear to be seeking out mental health services at higher rates
than veterans returning from other conflicts.159 Research has also found that the length and
number of deployments of troops in Iraq result in greater risk of mental health problems.160
Access to VA health services could be a critical component of reintegration into the community

(...continued)
Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-55).
154 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, p. 48.
155 Since October 2003, DOD’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has periodically (every 60 days) sent VA an
updated personnel roster of troops who participated in OEF and OIF, and who have separated from active duty and
become eligible for VA benefits. The roster was originally prepared based on pay records of individuals. However, in
more recent months it has been based on a combination of pay records and operational records provided by each
service branch. The current separation data are from FY2002 through December 2011. Note that the total includes
veterans who died in-theater (5,584).
156 See Robert Rosenheck, Catherine A. Leda, and Linda K. Frisman, et al., “Homeless Veterans,” in Homelessness in
America, ed. Jim Baumohl (Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1996), p. 105.
157 Charles W. Hoge, Carl A. Castro, Stephen C. Messer, and Dennis McGurk, “Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care,” New England Journal of Medicine 351, no. 1 (July 1, 2004): Table 3.
158 Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox, eds., Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their
Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2008) 96.
159 Charles W. Hoge, Jennifer L. Auchterlonie, and Charles S. Milliken, “Mental Health Problems, Use of Mental
Health Services, and Attrition from Military Service After Returning from Deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan,” JAMA
295, no. 9 (March 1, 2006): 1026, 1029.
160 Office of the Surgeon Multi-National Force-Iraq and Office of the Surgeon General United States Army Command,
Mental Health Advisory Team V, February 14, 2008, pp. 42-43, 46-47, available at http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/
reports/mhat/mhat_v/MHAT_V_OIFandOEF-Redacted.pdf.
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for some veterans, and there is concern that returning veterans might not be aware of available VA
health programs and services.161
The VA has multiple means of reaching out to injured veterans and veterans currently receiving
treatment through the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure that they know about VA health
services and to help them make the transition from DOD to VA services.162 However, for some
veterans, health issues, particularly mental health issues, may arise later. A study of Iraq soldiers
returning from deployment found that a higher percentage of soldiers reported mental health
concerns six months after returning than immediately after returning.163
Women Veterans
The number and percentage of women enlisted in the military have increased since previous wars.
In FY2011, approximately 14.2% of enlisted troops in the active components of the military
(Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines) were female, up from approximately 3.3% in FY1974 and
10.9% in FY1990.164 Since 2000, the percentage of women servicemembers has been greater than
14%, reaching 15% in FY2002 and FY2003. The number of women veterans can be expected to
grow commensurately. According to the VA, there were approximately 1.2 million female
veterans in 1990 (4% of the veteran population) and 1.6 million in 2000 (6%).165 In 2010,
approximately 1.8 million veterans were women.166 The VA predicted that there would be 1.9
million female veterans (10% of the veteran population) in 2020. At the same time, the number of
male veterans is expected to decline.167
Women veterans face challenges that could contribute to their risks of homelessness. A study of
women veterans in the Los Angeles area compared homeless women veterans to women veterans
who were housed and found that the characteristics most associated with homelessness were
unemployment, having a disability, and being unmarried.168 Additional factors associated with
homelessness were screening positive for PTSD, experiencing military sexual trauma, suffering
from an anxiety disorder, and having fair or poor health.

161 See, for example, Amy Fairweather, Risk and Protective Factors for Homelessness Among OIF/OEF Veterans,
Swords to Plowshares’ Iraq Veteran Project, December 7, 2006, p. 6.
162 For more information about transition services, see the National Resource Directory,
http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/.
163 Charles S. Milliken, Jennifer L. Auchterlonie, and Charles W. Hoge , “Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health
Problems Among Active and Reserve Component Soldiers Returning from the Iraq War,” JAMA 298, no. 18
(November 14, 2007): 2141, 2144.
164 U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness, Population
Representation in the Military Services, FY2011, Appendix D, Table D-13, http://prhome.defense.gov/rfm/MPP/
ACCESSION%20POLICY/PopRep2011/appendixd/d_13.html.
165 Robert A. Klein, Women Veterans: Past, Present, and Future, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the
Actuary, updated September 2007, pp. 8-9, available at http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/
Womenveterans_past_present_future_9-30-07a.pdf.
166 U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Statistical Abstract, Table 521, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/
12s0520.pdf.
167 Women Veterans: Past, Present, and Future, pp. 8-9.
168 Donna L. Washington, Elizabeth M. Yano, and James McGuire, et al., “Risk Factors for Homelessness among
Women Veterans,” Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 21, no. 1 (January 2010), pp. 81-91.
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Experts have found that female veterans report incidents of sexual assault that exceed rates
reported in the general population.169 A study of all returning OEF/OIF veterans who used VA
mental and/or primary health care found that 15.1% of female veterans reported experiencing
sexual assault or harassment while in the military (referred to by the VA as military sexual
trauma).170 Veterans who had experienced military sexual trauma were more likely than other
veterans to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, including depressive disorders,
PTSD, anxiety disorders, alcohol and substance use disorders, and adjustment disorders.171 In
particular, the relationship between military sexual trauma and PTSD among women was stronger
than it was for men.172 According to another study released in 2004, the percentage of all female
veterans seeking medical care through the VA (not just those returning from Iraq or Afghanistan)
who reported that they have experienced sexual assault ranged between 23% and 29%.173 These
factors can increase the difficulty with which women veterans readjust to civilian life, and could
be risk factors for homelessness (see earlier discussion in this report).
Women veterans are estimated to make up a relatively small, but growing, proportion of the
homeless veteran population. According to the 2010 Veterans Supplement to the Annual
Homeless Assessment Report, homeless women veterans represented 8% of veterans living in
shelter.174 As a result, programs serving homeless veterans may not have adequate facilities for
female veterans at risk of homelessness, particularly transitional housing for women and women
with children. Currently, six Grant and Per Diem programs funded through the Special Needs
Grant target women veterans,175 and in FY2010, 4.5% of individuals placed in Grant and Per
Diem programs were women176 while 4.9% of veterans served in the Domiciliary Care for
Homeless Veterans program in FY2010 were women.177 The program that serves the highest
percentage of female veterans is HUD-VASH; approximately 11% of veterans who have received
vouchers are women.178
The need for assistance among younger women veterans, in particular, appears to be increasing. A
report released by the VA about the risk and prevalence of homelessness among veterans noted
the increased risk of homelessness among young, female veterans, and that intervention upon
return from service and during the transition to civilian life could benefit this group.179 It is also

169 Jessica Wolfe et al., “Changing Demographic Characteristics of Women Veterans: Results from a National Sample,”
Military Medicine 165, no. 10 (October 2000): 800.
170 Rachel Kimerling, Amy E. Street, and Joanne Pavao, et al., “Military-Related Sexual Trauma Among Veterans
Health Administration Patients Returning From Afghanistan and Iraq,” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 100,
no. 8 (August 2010), pp. 1409-1412.
171 Ibid., p. 1411. The study looked at both male and female veterans who had reported experiencing military sexual
trauma. The percentage of men who so reported was 0.7%.
172 Ibid.
173 Anne G. Sandler, Brenda M. Booth, Michelle A. Mengeling, and Bradley N. Doebbeling, “Life Span and Repeated
Violence Against Women During Military Service: Effects on Health Status and Outpatient Utilization,” Journal of
Women’s Health 13, no. 7 (2004): 800.
174 FY2010 AHAR Veterans Supplement, p. 7.
175 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Advisory Committee on Women Veterans Report 2010, September 2010, p. 6,
http://www1.va.gov/WOMENVET/docs/ACWV_Report_2010.pdf.
176 Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Programs: Twenty-Fourth Annual Report, Table 5-3, p. 229.
177 Twenty-Second Annual Progress Report on the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, p. 8.
178 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Homeless Women Veterans: Actions Needed to Ensure Safe and
Appropriate Housing, GAO-12-182, December 2011, p. 28, http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/587334.pdf.
179 Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness Among U.S. Veterans: A Multisite Investigation, p. 25.
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noteworthy that child care was the highest unmet need reported by homeless veterans and service
providers as part of the last four VA CHALENG reports.
In the 110th Congress, the Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008
(110-387) added a provision to the statute governing the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans
program requiring the Secretary to “take appropriate actions to ensure that the domiciliary care
programs of the Department are adequate, with respect to capacity and with respect to safety, to
meet the needs of veterans who are women.” In the 111th Congress, the Veterans’ Benefits Act of
2010 (P.L. 111-275), signed into law on October 13, 2010, created an HVRP grant program
specifically targeted to serve women veterans and veterans with children. The new program, like
HVRP, will provide job training, counseling, and job placement services, but will also provide
child care for participants. The program is authorized from FY2011 through FY2015 at $1 million
per year.

Author Contact Information

Libby Perl

Specialist in Housing Policy
eperl@crs.loc.gov, 7-7806


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