This is how VA reaches justice-involved Veterans to avoid homelessness

By Madolyn Gingell, National Coordinator, Legal Services for Veterans; Katie Stewart, National Coordinator for Veterans Justice Outreach; and Matthew Stimmel, National Training Director for Veterans Justice Programs

August 25, 2026

Navigating housing instability is challenging on its own, and involvement in the criminal justice system can make it even harder for Veterans to find stability. For many Veterans, these two experiences are interconnected, with involvement in one increasing the risk of the other. A record can follow Veterans to every job interview, appear on housing applications, and surface during custody hearings, while housing instability can increase the likelihood of criminal justice system involvement.

In fiscal year 2025, justice-involved Veterans served by VA represented less than 1% of all Veterans in the United States, yet they were 6.2 times more likely to experience homelessness than Veterans without justice involvement. Challenges like not having legal identification, unresolved debt and limited access to employment can quickly place stable housing out of reach.

However, connecting justice-involved Veterans to legal services and VA resources early in their re-entry can help prevent the housing instability and homelessness that often follow.