Housing stability as suicide prevention: How VA is connecting the dots

By Dr. Emily Edwards, Director of Clinical Core, VISN 2 MIRECC, Dr. Ryan Holliday, Clinical Research Psychologist, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, & Kenneth Bruemmer, Program Analyst for Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams

September 21, 2026

September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to recognize the many factors that can affect a person’s risk for suicide, including housing instability.

For a Veteran facing homelessness, not knowing where they will sleep or whether they will have a place to live tomorrow can feel overwhelming. Housing instability can also compound other challenges, including health concerns, financial hardships, substance use, unemployment or strained relationships.

The compounded stresses of housing instability are particularly high right before a Veteran actually becomes homeless. Specifically, when Veterans are afraid of losing their home and uncertain about the future of their housing, that anxiety can quickly turn into a suicide crisis. Similarly, for Veterans experiencing chronic homelessness, unexpected barriers in connecting to housing services can lead to increased suicide risk. Helping Veterans effectively address housing challenges can ease some of these stresses and be an important part of suicide prevention.

According to VA’s 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the suicide rate in 2023 among homeless Veterans who recently received VHA care was 146% higher than among Veterans without a homelessness diagnosis. The report also found that among homeless Veterans, those who received VA homeless program services had a 33.7% lower suicide rate than those who did not receive these services.

These findings highlight the importance of addressing homelessness early and connecting Veterans with housing and supportive services.