Understanding connection: Veteran homelessness and mental health

Why housing stability is essential to mental health treatment and recovery for Veterans experiencing homelessness.

Among Veterans receiving VA care, those experiencing homelessness or enrolled in HUD-VASH (Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing) face significantly higher risks of mental health and substance use challenges—often two to six times higher than Veterans with stable housing.

For some Veterans, mental health challenges may contribute to housing instability. For others, the stress, trauma and uncertainty associated with homelessness can worsen existing mental health challenges. In both instances, mental health struggles don’t exist on their own, they overlap with and can intensify nearly every other challenge a Veteran faces, and without stable housing, even the most effective mental health treatments can be difficult to sustain. However, when Veterans have access to stable housing alongside comprehensive mental healthcare and treatment, recovery becomes possible.

How stable housing supports mental health recovery

For Veterans experiencing homelessness, a safe, stable place to live is often the first step toward engaging with mental healthcare.

When a Veteran leaves military service, they aren’t just leaving a job; they are leaving behind an environment driven by structure and purpose. After transitioning out of the military, that infrastructure and sense of predictability can quickly disappear. For those already coping with mental health challenges such as posttraumatic stress, depression or severe anxiety, repeated setbacks can cause an individual to shut down, creating a situation in which they are less likely to reach out for the very care they need most.

Providing housing alone—without addressing underlying mental health needs—is often not enough. But without housing stability, mental health treatment is often harder to initiate, maintain or benefit from. That is why stable housing is often a necessary foundation for effective mental health recovery. Without the stability of a safe place to live, keeping appointments, managing medications and staying engaged with treatment can be difficult.

By combining housing stability with professional clinical support, Veterans gain a foundation of security and consistency that makes mental healthcare, treatment and recovery possible.

Support homeless Veterans this Mental Health Awareness Month

When housing stability is in place, mental healthcare becomes more accessible, and Veterans are better equipped to recover and thrive. This Mental Health Awareness Month, and year-round, we can all play a role in supporting Veterans experiencing homelessness. Here are a few simple actions you can take to support homeless Veterans:

• Learn more about Veteran homelessness: Understand the overlapping risk factors of homelessness and share accurate information about the realities of Veteran homelessness. Help others understand that homelessness is not a choice, but often the result of overlapping personal, social and systemic factors.
• Support local organizations: VA partners with community organizations nationwide to support homeless Veterans. Consider volunteering with local housing programs or advocating for policies that expand access to affordable housing and mental health services.
• Use your voice: If you personally know a Veteran who is struggling with their mental health or housing instability, encourage them to contact their local VA medical center or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.

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