{"id":1196,"date":"2023-04-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/?p=1196"},"modified":"2026-03-20T18:54:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T18:54:55","slug":"the-negative-health-impacts-of-unsheltered-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/the-negative-health-impacts-of-unsheltered-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Negative Health Impacts of Unsheltered Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull va-page-title-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-179 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/academic-affiliations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/05\/Hero2.png?w=1024\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#085795\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-left\">Featured Articles<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<form role=\"search\" method=\"get\" action=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/\" class=\"wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__text-button wp-block-search\" ><label class=\"wp-block-search__label\" for=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" >Search Articles<\/label><div class=\"wp-block-search__inside-wrapper\" ><input class=\"wp-block-search__input\" id=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" placeholder=\"\" value=\"\" type=\"search\" name=\"s\" required \/><button aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"wp-block-search__button wp-element-button\" type=\"submit\" >Search<\/button><\/div><\/form>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Negative Health Impacts of Unsheltered Homelessness<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #0073aa\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-0073-aa-background-color has-background\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By <strong>Monica Diaz, executive director, VHA Homeless Programs Office<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Posted April 12, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"832\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230412_negative-health.jpg\" alt=\"silhouette of a person sitting on the ground in a dark tunnel\" class=\"wp-image-668\" style=\"width:900px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230412_negative-health.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230412_negative-health.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230412_negative-health.jpg?resize=768,499 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230412_negative-health.jpg?resize=1024,666 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are infinite pathways that can lead a person to struggle to keep a roof over their head: Being included in the latest round of layoffs. Taking a leave of absence from work to serve as the caretaker for an ill family member. Facing unexpected but exorbitant medical costs. Being told your landlord is selling their house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These circumstances can happen to anyone, at any time\u2014often with little warning. And without a backup plan or strong social safety network, these unfortunate twists of fate can result in something previously unimaginable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such scenarios happen every day in America, including to the heroic individuals who once wore this nation\u2019s uniform. Veterans may find themselves unsure of how to get help or hesitant to ask, which can lead to them experiencing unsheltered homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unsheltered homelessness in America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/110192\/homelessness-decreased-11-last-two-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">declined by 11% since 2020<\/a>\u2014and by more than 55% since 2010\u2014communities across the country are seeing an increase in the rates of unsheltered homelessness among Veterans and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huduser.gov\/portal\/sites\/default\/files\/pdf\/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">individuals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A person experiencing unsheltered homelessness has a primary nighttime location in a place where individuals don\u2019t typically sleep, such as streets, vehicles, or parks. In 2022, 41% of all Veterans experiencing homelessness were unsheltered, and between 2021 and 2022,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huduser.gov\/portal\/sites\/default\/files\/pdf\/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unsheltered homelessness rose among all Americans by 7%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Short and long-term health impacts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While it\u2019s no surprise that people experiencing unsheltered homelessness&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/endhomelessness.org\/blog\/new-research-unsheltered-homelessness-is-a-health-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have more significant health issues<\/a>&nbsp;than those who are sheltered, many don\u2019t consider that they also struggle to consistently access essential medical supplies, including health records, documents, and medications. Moreover, many also lack basic hygiene resources, causing them to face a greater risk of contracting infectious diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness may also struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and traumatic stress disorders, putting them at a higher risk for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5230839\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drug and alcohol abuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Health challenges and unsheltered homelessness can be a mutually reinforcing cycle.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4521393\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studies have shown<\/a>&nbsp;that health challenges are strong and consistent risk factors for homelessness. The longer a Veteran remains unsheltered, the greater the likelihood that the issues will be exacerbated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Barriers to care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a myth that people experiencing unsheltered homelessness simply choose not to engage in available services. As Dr. Jack Tsai, research director for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/nchav\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"694\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans<\/a>&nbsp;points out, no Veteran chooses to be homeless and some unsheltered Veterans currently receive care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMany Veterans face both legitimate and perceived barriers that can prevent them from engaging in certain types of care,\u201d Dr. Tsai explains. \u201cPrevious negative interactions with VA or other social service organizations may keep some Veterans from seeking support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is, however, important to note that VA homeless programs have expanded significantly in recent years\u2014even if Veterans may not have been eligible for services in the past, there are now more people and programs than ever before to help Veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA is committed to showing all Veterans that no matter what they are going through, we are here to help. VA homeless programs staff strive to meet Veterans where they are, listen to what they need, and help connect them with the services and programs that align with their housing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of it comes back to trust and building those relationships, which often takes multiple visits,\u201d says Dr. Jillian Weber, national program manager of VA\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/hpact\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"520\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACTs)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA is also listening to Veterans by expanding low-barrier models to housing that have proved popular, including the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/greater-los-angeles-health-care\/news-releases\/los-angeles-va-receives-20-additional-tiny-shelters-in-continued-effort-to-end-veteran-homelessness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">West Los Angeles VA\u2019s Care, Treatment and Rehabilitative Services\u2019 (CTRS) Tiny Shelters<\/a>, which strive to maintain Veteran autonomy and support Veterans with family members. Additionally, VA\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/how-vas-grant-and-per-diem-program-reduces-long-term-homelessness-among-veterans\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1194\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program reduces long-term homelessness among Veterans<\/a>&nbsp;by empowering Veterans to choose their own path, trusting that Veterans are the best experts on the programs and approaches that will best fit their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fighting for unsheltered Veterans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA Medical Centers engage with unsheltered Veterans\u00a0through street or community-based outreach services that meet Veterans where they are\u2014including at encampments or congregate meal sites\u2014as well as with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/hchv\/community-resource-and-referral-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1315\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Resource and Referral Centers<\/a>\u00a0(CRRCs) and through strong community partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA currently has more than 30 CRRCs where Veterans can meet with VA staff to obtain support services. In addition, VA secured more than 18,000 shelter beds for homeless and at-risk Veterans and hosted 153&nbsp;Stand Down events&nbsp;reaching over 30,000 homeless Veterans in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2022, VA&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/115137\/va-exceeds-goal-38000-veterans-housing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exceeded Secretary McDonough\u2019s challenge to place 38,000 Veterans in permanent housing<\/a>&nbsp;by housing 40,401 Veterans in under 10 months. But there is still work to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/press-room\/va-announces-goal-to-house-38000-veterans-experiencing-homelessness-in-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2023 goals for preventing and ending Veteran homelessness<\/a>&nbsp;also include placing at least 38,000 Veterans in permanent housing. In addition, VA will strive to engage with at least 28,000 unsheltered Veterans to help them obtain housing and other wraparound services. This goal represents a more than 10% increase in the number of unsheltered Veterans reached during 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To reach as many unsheltered Veterans as possible, VA will continue conducting outreach through innovative methods, such as with the 25 new Mobile Medical Units that will help VA staff reach Veterans and provide essential health care resources through the HPACT program wherever they are. Mobile Medical Units will be critical, especially in reaching rural Veterans who may live far from VA Medical Centers, community housing, and medical resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA\u2019s National Center on Homelessness among Veterans and its partners are also leading new research projects to examine which housing models best serve unsheltered Veterans, and how these findings can inform future VA programming to connect all Veterans to the safe, stable, and permanent housing they need and deserve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group va-section-title va-section-title-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact VA for help<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #005EA2\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-ff-5500-background-color has-background\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, we strongly encourage you to contact the <strong>National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at <a href=\"tel:+18774243838\">877-424-3838<\/a><\/strong> for assistance.<br><br>The call is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained professionals are standing by to connect you to your nearest VA for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-blue-icon-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Chat with a live professional now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1385\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png\" alt=\"National Call Center for Homeless Veterans logo. 877-424-3838\" class=\"wp-image-5628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png 1385w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=300,130 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=768,333 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=1024,444 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are infinite pathways that can lead a person to struggle to keep a roof over their head: Being included in the latest round of layoffs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"priority":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[18,8],"class_list":["post-1196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-health","tag-unsheltered"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/the-negative-health-impacts-of-unsheltered-homelessness\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Negative Health Impacts of Unsheltered 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