Veteran Homelessness on the Rise Again in Expensive Cities

"National homelessness statistics…show that, after dropping nearly 50 percent, homelessness among veterans is on the rise in high-cost areas like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Seattle," according to an article by Oriya Cohen, Kimberly Burrowes, and Maya Brennan for the How Housing matters website.

Here the article sums up some of the resources and research that is shedding light on the resurgence of veterans homelessness in expensive cities:

Veterans experiencing homelessness report that barriers to housing access and housing maintenance are the primary challenges. Research has pointed to effective solutions for improving access and stability, but they all require an adequate housing supply. Rapid re-housing and other emergency financial assistance and case management programs can help veterans access housing quickly and cost-effectively. Veterans with deeper affordability or behavioral health challenges may also need rental subsidies and supportive services through programs like the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing. These solutions are backed by research yet face implementation challenges amid a rental affordability crisis.

The article goes into a lot more detail on the nature of the challenges facing communities working to address homelessness among veterans. A few of the big takeaways from the article include: 1) high development costs don’t reduce the importance of low-barrier supportive housing, 2) in demand-heavy markets, landlord incentives may not be enough, and 3) community collaboration leads to success.