Why are there a lot of homeless military Veterans in the U.S.?

By Shawn Liu, National Homeless Program Manager, VHA Homeless Programs Office

Originally published April 20, 2026. Updated July 7, 2026.

Here in the Homeless Programs Office, we are regularly asked this question:

“Why are there a lot of homeless military Veterans in the U.S.”?

Let’s unpack what’s going on.

Risk factors for Veteran homelessness

There has been a ton of research on why Veterans become homeless. These studies often highlight similar risk factors contributing to Veterans experiencing homelessness. Within the Homeless Programs Office, we like to categorize them in two ways: individual-level and community-level.

• Individual-level factors include mental health (e.g., combat related post-traumatic stress disorder) and substance use disorders, lack of stable income or employment, history of incarceration, lack of social support, and adverse childhood events.
• Community-level factors include lack of affordable housing, lack of economic opportunities, neighborhood factors, and cultural factors.

At VA, our goal is to reduce the negative impact of these risk factors by connecting Veterans to VA homeless programs and the full range of healthcare, treatment, and benefits VA provides.

Making progress in reducing Veteran homelessness

Did you know, there’s actually been significant progress in reducing Veteran homelessness in the U.S.?

Its true!

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, data show that on a single night in January 2025, there were 32,495 Veterans who experienced homelessness in the U.S. This is a 56.1% decrease since 2010, and a record low in Veteran homelessness since measurement began in 2009.

However, despite this significant progress, we can all agree that there are still too many Veterans experiencing homelessness.

That’s why VA is committed to finishing the job of ending homelessness among Veterans. It is our nation’s duty to ensure all Veterans have a place to call home.

We won’t rest until every Veteran has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable place to call home.

Learn more about the seven essential elements for ending Veteran homelessness.