Acknowledgements 

This Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to 

Congress was developed by a team of researchers from Abt Associates Inc. and the U.S. Department of 

Veterans Affairs National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, affiliated with the University of 

Pennsylvania. The team was led by Principal Investigators, Dr. Jill Khadduri (Abt) and Dr. Dennis 

Culhane (University of Pennsylvania). Dr. Alvaro Cortes and Ms. Meghan Henry served as co-Project 

Directors. Additional team members include: Tom Albanese, Christopher Blaine, Scott Brown, Larry 

Buron, Elizabeth Copson, RJ de la Cruz, Tracy D’Alanno, Lauren Dunton, Justin Epner, Nichole Fiore, 

Lindsay Fox, Mary Joel Holin, Emily Holt, Ruby Jennings, Bulbul Kaul, Josh Leopold, Natalie 

Matthews, Ashley Muller, Tom McCall, Melissa O’Connor, Saty Patrabansh, Maura Pillsbury, Missy 

Robinson, Jeff Smith, Jill Spangler, K.P. Srinath, Jeff Ward, Michelle Woodford, and Matt White. 

Additional team members from the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans are: Thomas 

Byrne, Harlan Jones, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, and Ellen Munley. 

This report also benefited greatly from the contributions and support of a number of HUD and VA staff. 

From HUD, the project was guided by Julie Hovden, Mark Johnston, Ann Oliva, and Michael Roanhouse 

from the Office of Community Planning and Development. From the VA, Vince Kane and John Kuhn 

provided comments to the report. 

Finally, this project and this report could not have been possible without the participation of staff from 

Continuums of Care, local government agencies and nonprofit agencies responsible for HMIS 

implementation in communities across the country as well as HMIS software solution providers. Their 

continued commitment is greatly appreciated. 

Table of Contents 

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................i
 

1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
 

1.1	 In this Report..........................................................................................................................1
 

2. Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans ...............................................................................3
 

2.1	 Types of Homeless Estimates ................................................................................................3
 

2.2	 Estimates of Homeless Veterans............................................................................................3
 

2.3	 How Common is Homelessness among Veterans..................................................................4
 

3. Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans..................................................................7
 

3.1	 Profile of All Sheltered Veterans...........................................................................................7
 

3.2	 Sheltered Veterans by Household Type.................................................................................9
 

3.3	 Sheltered Veterans Compared to Sheltered Non-Veterans ....................................................9
 

4. Risk of Homelessness among Veterans ......................................................................................13
 

4.1	 Gender as a Risk Factor .......................................................................................................13
 

4.2	 Race and Ethnicity as Risk Factors......................................................................................14
 

4.3	 Age as a Risk Factor ............................................................................................................15
 

4.4	 Disability as a Risk Factor ...................................................................................................16
 

5. Location of Homeless Veterans...................................................................................................17
 

5.1	 PIT Estimates of Veteran Homelessness by State and Region ............................................17
 

5.2	 Location of Homeless Veterans – Principal Cities and Suburban or Rural Areas...............19
 

6. How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System....................................................................21
 

6.1	 Prior Living Situation of Veterans Accessing the Shelter System.......................................21
 

6.2	 Patterns of Shelter Use.........................................................................................................23
 

6.3	 Length of Stay......................................................................................................................24
 

7. Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans.....................................................................27
 

8. Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010.........................................................................31
 

8.1	 Changes in the Estimates and Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans, 2009 to
 

2010......................................................................................................................................31
 

8.2	 Changes in the Geographic Location and Service-Use Patterns of Sheltered Veterans.......33
 

9. Concluding Observations............................................................................................................35
 

Appendix A: Methodology .......................................................................................................................37
 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010.................................................41
 

Appendix C: Data Tables for Calculating Risk Ratios, 2010................................................................53
 

Appendix D: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness and Total Populations, by State, 2010 .......55
 

Table of Contents 

Executive Summary 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) are pleased to present Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless 

Assessment Report to Congress. This second annual supplemental report is intended to provide 

policymakers, practitioners, and the general public with information about the extent and nature of 

veteran homelessness. The information provided in this report advances the federal effort to end 

homelessness among veterans in 5 years—as described in the 2010 Federal Strategic Plan to End 

Homelessness and the VA’s plan to end veteran homelessness—through the collection of timely data on 

veteran homelessness. 

Representing the ongoing and coordinated commitment between HUD and the VA to end and prevent 

homelessness among those who have served in our nation’s military, this Veteran Supplemental Report 

provides both 1-day and 1-year estimates of the number of homeless veterans in the United States. In 

addition to the snapshot and annual estimates, this report describes the demographic characteristics of 

homeless veterans, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, and disability status. These characteristics are 

compared to those of other populations including the non-veteran homeless population, the total veteran 

population, and the population of veterans living in poverty. These comparisons highlight the higher risks 

of homelessness faced by veterans, particularly poor veterans. Also discussed in this report are the 

locations of homeless veterans across the country as well as how they access and use the homeless 

residential system. Finally, annual comparisons of estimates are made to suggest how homelessness 

among veterans is changing over time. 

A summary of major findings is provided below. 

Estimates of Veteran Homelessness 

 On a single night in January 2010, 76,329 veterans were living in emergency shelter, in 

transitional housing, or in an unsheltered place (e.g., on the streets, in cars, or in abandoned 

buildings). Approximately 57 percent of those homeless on a single night were sheltered—in 

emergency shelter or transitional housing—and 43 percent were unsheltered. 

 During a 12-month period (October 2009 through September 2010), an estimated 144,842 

veterans spent at least 1 night in emergency shelter or transitional housing programs, accounting 

for 11.5 percent of all homeless adults. 

 In 2010, homeless veterans accounted for 1 in 150 veterans and about 1 in 9 veterans living in 

poverty. 

 Most homeless veterans over the course of the year were individuals, living alone without a 

dependent child (98 percent). 

Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans 

 Homeless veterans are largely white men, between the ages of 31 and 61, with a disability. 

 Sheltered veterans who are homeless as a part of a family are typically younger than their 

individual counterparts, minority women, and not as likely to have a disability. 

 Homeless veterans are younger than the total veteran population, but older than the non-veteran 

homeless population. 

Executive Summary i 
Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010 

 The Point-in-Time count increased by 1 percent, from 75,609 homeless veterans on a single night 

in 2009 to 76,329 homeless veterans on a single night in 2010. 

 The 1-year count of sheltered veterans decreased by 3 percent between 2009 and 2010, from 

149,635 to 144,842. 

 There were few changes in the characteristics of homeless veterans. Homeless veterans in 2010 

were slightly older, slightly more likely to be white, and slightly more likely to be disabled than 

they were in 2009. 

Risk of Sheltered Homelessness among Veterans 

 Female veterans are at especially high risk of homelessness, and the risk increases considerably if 

the female veteran is poor. Female veterans are more than twice as likely to be homeless as 

female non-veterans, and female veterans in poverty are more than three times as likely to be 

homeless as female non-veterans in poverty. 

 Male veterans are at a lower risk of homelessness when compared to their non-veteran
 

counterparts; however, male veterans living in poverty are at greater risk.
 

 The prevalence of sheltered homelessness among minority groups in poverty is very high. More 

than 18 percent of poor Hispanic/Latino veterans, 26 percent of poor African American veterans, 

and 26 percent of poor American Indian and Alaska Native veterans were homeless at some point 

during 2010. 

 Young veterans (between 18 and 30) are also at high risk of using the shelter system, especially 

young veterans in poverty. Young veterans are more than twice as likely to be homeless as their 

non-veteran counterparts, and young veterans in poverty are almost four times as likely to be 

homeless than their non-veteran counterparts in poverty. 

Location of Homeless Veterans 

 In January 2010 four states—California, Florida, New York, and Texas—accounted for 50 

percent of all homeless veterans across the country. These four states accounted for 46 percent of 

the total homeless population, 32 percent of the U.S. population, and 28 percent of the total 

veteran population. 

 More than 68 percent of sheltered veterans in 2010 lived in the densest urban areas (or principal 

cities). This is slightly more than the share of sheltered non-veteran adults. By contrast, only 31 

percent of the total veteran population lived in principal cities in 2010. 

Prior Living Situation and Shelter Use Patterns 

 Many veterans were already homeless when they entered shelter during the 1-year reporting 

period (October 2009 through September 2010). Nearly half (48 percent) of sheltered 

unaccompanied veterans were already homeless prior to entering the shelter system compared to 

almost 32 percent of unaccompanied non-veterans in shelter. 

 Veterans were less likely than non-veterans to access the shelter system from housing—either 

units that they owned or rented or living with relatives or friends. Nearly 28 percent of individual 

veterans lived in housing prior to entering shelter compared with 37 percent of non-veteran 

individuals. A small percentage, 3 percent (or 2,200 veterans) were homeowners the night prior 

to homelessness. 

 Veterans are more likely to enter the shelter system directly from an institutional setting than the 

non-veteran homeless population. Approximately 15 percent of veterans spent the night prior to 

ii Executive Summary 
entering shelter in jail or prison, medical or psychiatric facility, or a substance abuse treatment 

center. Only 9 percent of sheltered non-veterans came from these institutional settings. 

Moreover, almost 30 percent of sheltered veterans (not already homeless) were discharged from 

substance abuse treatment centers, jails or prisons, hospitals, or psychiatric facilities directly into 

homelessness. By and large these veterans are individuals, as veterans in families do not often 

access shelter from institutional settings. 

 Most veterans (75 percent) used only emergency shelter during the 12-month study period. The 

remaining veterans used transitional housing alone (20 percent) or a combination of both 

(5 percent). 

Veterans in Permanent Supportive Housing 

 Veterans in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) were largely male, white, between the ages of 

51 and 61, and disabled. Veterans living in PSH were more likely to enter the program directly 

from homelessness (76 percent compared to 48 percent for sheltered veterans). 

 The most common destination for veterans who exit PSH is a rented housing unit (33 percent), 

followed by living with a relative or friend (14 percent) or an institutional setting (14 percent). 

Executive Summary iii 

1. Introduction 

This second Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment 

Report to Congress (2010 AHAR Veteran report) presents the scope and nature of homelessness among 

veterans in the United States. The 2010 AHAR Veteran report is a companion to the AHAR report and 

uses both Point-in-Time data and annual longitudinal administrative data from Homeless Management 

Information Systems (HMIS) that are reported by local Continuums of Care1 (CoC) nationwide. Included 

in this report are the national estimates of homeless veterans and their demographic characteristics, 

locations, and patterns of shelter use. Also discussed is whether veterans are at greater risk of 

homelessness than the non-veteran population. Finally, and for the first time, this report provides an 

examination of year-to-year changes in the homeless veteran population. 

Also new to this report is an examination of veterans living in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) 

programs. PSH programs provide housing and supportive services to tenants who typically have 

disabilities. These programs help people achieve greater levels of housing stability and self-sufficiency 

and have been instrumental in reducing chronic homelessness. This report provides the first estimate of 

the number of veterans using PSH programs across the country, their demographic characteristics, and 

their service use patterns. 

This report represents the continued partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), highlighted by both the VA Plan to 

end veteran homelessness and the 2010 Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. In the 

past few years, both HUD and the VA have emphasized the importance of preventing homelessness 

among veterans, recognizing that prevention is a crucial part of the nation’s overall strategy to end 

homelessness. The federal government’s ability to prevent and end homelessness among veterans is 

supported through the collection, analysis, and reporting of quality, timely data on homelessness. 

1.1 In this Report 

The remainder of the 2010 AHAR Veteran report proceeds as follows: 

Section 2—Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans. This section presents the national estimates of 

homeless veterans in 2010, focusing on the prevalence of homeless veterans on a single night in 

January 2010 and during a 12-month period (October 2009 to September 2010). 

Section 3—Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans. This section describes the demographic 

characteristics of sheltered homeless veterans who used emergency shelter or transitional housing 

programs at some point during the 12-month reporting period. 

Section 4—Risk of Homelessness among Veterans. This section focuses on the proportions of different 

demographic subgroups that become homeless, comparing veterans and non-veterans. These 

comparisons highlight the characteristics of veterans who are at greater risk of homelessness. 

Section 5—Location of Homeless Veterans. This section describes the geographic location of sheltered 

veterans across the United States and in different types of communities—rural, urban, and suburban. 

Continuums of Care are local planning bodies responsible for coordinating the full range of homelessness 

services in a geographic area, which may cover a city, county, metropolitan area, or an entire state. 

Introduction 1 

1 
Section 6—How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System. This section describes how veterans move 

into the system and how homeless veterans use emergency shelter and transitional housing programs once 

they access services. 

Section 7—Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans. This section presents information on the 

population of veterans living in PSH programs. Included in this section are demographic characteristics, 

locations, and prior living situations of PSH tenants. 

Section 8—Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010. This section describes the changes in the 

homeless veteran estimates, characteristics, and shelter system use between 2009 and 2010. 

Section 9—Concluding Observations. This section provides summary comments about the findings of the 

2010 AHAR Veteran report. 

Appendices A–D—At the end of the report, a number of appendices provide more detailed and supporting 

information. Appendix A describes the methodology; Appendix B provides detailed information on the 

characteristics of homeless veterans; Appendix C provides detailed information on the risk ratios; and 

Appendix D provides the Point-in-Time counts of homeless veterans by state. 

2 Introduction 
2. Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans 

2.1 Types of Homeless Estimates 

This section provides national estimates of homeless veterans in 2010. To understand the extent of 

veteran homelessness in the United States, two complementary estimates are used: 

1.	 Point-in-Time (PIT) Estimates—Estimates of sheltered and unsheltered homeless veterans 

on a single night. The PIT estimates are submitted to HUD annually by communities and 

account for homeless veterans in emergency shelter or transitional housing on the night of the 

PIT count (i.e., sheltered) as well as homeless veterans who are in places not meant for human 

habitation such as the streets, abandoned buildings, cars, or encampments (i.e., unsheltered). 

Communities typically conduct their PIT count during the last week in January when a large 

share of the homeless population is expected to seek shelter rather than stay outside. The timing 

of the PIT count is intended to improve the accuracy of these estimates because counting people 

in shelter is more precise than conducting street counts. 

2.	 1-Year Estimates—Estimates of sheltered homeless veterans during a 1-year period based on 

data from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). HMIS are electronic 

administrative databases that are designed to record and store client-level information on the 

characteristics and service needs of homeless persons. The 1-year estimates include veterans 

who used an emergency shelter or transitional housing facility during a 12-month period 

(October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010) and are unduplicated to account for veterans who 

use residential service programs multiple times during the year. In 2010, 367 participating 

communities submitted usable HMIS data on sheltered homeless veterans, representing 55,731 

unduplicated persons located in 2,393 cities and 1,786 counties. These data are adjusted 

statistically to create nationally representative estimates. 

To read more about the methodology used to produce the national estimates, please see Appendix A. 

2.2 Estimates of Homeless Veterans 

Point-in-Time Estimate. On a single night in January 2010, there were 76,329 homeless veterans in the 

United States. Approximately 57 percent (43,437) were living in emergency shelters or transitional 

housing units. The remaining 43 percent (32,892) were unsheltered—living on the streets, in cars, under 

bridges, or in other places not meant for human habitation. 

1-Year Estimates. Over the course of the year, an estimated 144,842 veterans spent at least 1 night 

homeless, living in emergency shelters or transitional housing units. Almost all of these veterans 

(98 percent) were individuals living alone; only 2 percent were homeless as part of a family. 

Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans 3 
Exhibit 2-1: Estimates of Homeless Veterans, 2010 

Estimate Type 

2010 Estimate Percent of 

HUDAdjusted 

Estimate 

Unadjusted Coverage 

Count1 

HUDAdjusted 

Estimate2 

PIT Estimate3 61,117 76,329 100% Sheltered and Unsheltered 

Sheltered 36,389 43,437 57% 

Unsheltered 24,728 32,892 43% 

1-Year Estimates4 127,814 144,842 100% Sheltered Only 

Individuals 125,075 141,975 98% 

Persons in Families5 4,218 4,425 2% 1 The unadjusted count is the raw count of homeless veterans reported by CoCs. The unadjusted 1-year estimate 

includes the CoC-level extrapolation to account for homeless providers that do not participate in each CoC’s 

HMIS. 2 The HUD-adjusted estimate applies several adjustments to the raw count of homeless veterans to account for 

missing data and unreported estimates of veterans in VA-funded programs. Appendix A describes these 

adjustments in detail. 

3 PIT estimate accounts for sheltered and unsheltered homeless veterans on a single night in January 2010. Data 

source: Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Counts, January 2010. 4 The HMIS-based estimates reflect the number of veterans in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who used 

emergency shelters or transitional housing programs during the 1-year period from October 1, 2009, through 

September 30, 2010. The estimates include an adjustment to account for veterans who use emergency shelters or 

transitional housing programs that do not yet participate in HMIS. The estimate also adjusts for VA programs 

that serve homeless veterans but do not provide bed inventory information or counts of homeless veterans to 

their respective CoCs (see Appendix A for more details). A homeless veteran who does not use an emergency 

shelter or transitional housing during the 12-month period is not included in this estimate. 

The number of veterans served as individuals (141,975) and as adults in families (4,425) will not equal the total 

unduplicated count of sheltered homeless veterans because 1,558 veterans were served as both individuals and as 

members of a family. In 2010, the 95 percent confidence interval for the estimated number of sheltered homeless 

veterans in the population was 111,476 to 178,208 veterans (or +/- 33,366 veterans). Data source: Homeless 

Management Information Systems data, 2010. 5 In the AHAR, a family is defined as a household composed of at least one adult and one child. The household 

status of a veteran is determined when the veteran enters an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. 

The estimate of veterans in families may be an undercount if veterans access shelter as individuals but have 

family members living elsewhere (e.g., with relatives or friends). 

2.3 How Common is Homelessness among Veterans 

Veterans are overrepresented among the homeless population. Veterans account for roughly 9.5 percent 

of the total population of persons over the age of 18 in the United States. However, veterans comprised 

13 percent of sheltered homeless adults in 2010 and 16 percent of homeless adults at a given point in 

time. The larger percentage of veterans identified during the PIT may reflect the greater likelihood of 

chronic homelessness among veterans. 

Homeless veterans represent a relatively small share of the total veteran population, less than 1 percent 

(1 in 150 veterans). Overall, veterans experience a greater level of economic stability in the United States 

compared to the general population. The poverty rate for veterans is about half that of non-veteran 

adults—6 percent compared with 12 percent—and veterans have higher median incomes than the general 

population. However, once a veteran becomes less economically stable, the descent into homelessness is 

steep. Approximately 1 in 16 veterans has an income below the poverty line, and 1 in 9 impoverished 

veterans is homeless. 

4 Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans 
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In Exhibit 2-2 below, each shaded figure represents a homeless veteran, with the exception of the first 

group in which each shaded figure represents a veteran in poverty. 

Exhibit 2-2: Veterans by Population Group 

Veterans in Poverty 

(6%) 

Sheltered Homeless Adults who are 

Veterans (12-month count) 

(13%) 

Veterans in Poverty who are Homeless 

(11%) 

All Homeless Adults who are Veterans 

(Point-in-Time count) 

(16%) 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Counts, January 2010; U.S. 

Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

The next section provides some basic demographic data for veterans who were homeless at some point 

over the course of 2010. Section 4 provides more detailed comparisons between homeless veterans and 

non-veterans, as well as a risk analysis of homelessness for various subgroups. 

Estimates of Homelessness among Veterans 5 

3. Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 

This section examines the demographic profile of sheltered homeless veterans based on annual HMIS 

data. The characteristics of sheltered veterans are compared to those of veteran living in poverty and all 

U.S. veterans. Additionally, this section provides a comparison of the features of homeless veterans with 

those of non-veteran adults experiencing homelessness. These comparisons can be used to identify how 

homeless veterans differ from other populations and how to target services more efficiently to their 

unique needs. 

3.1 Profile of All Sheltered Veterans 

A typical sheltered veteran is: 

 Male (92 percent), 

 White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (52 percent), 

 Between the ages of 51 and 61 (41 percent), and 

 Disabled (51 percent). 

Exhibit 3-1: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans, Poor Veterans, and 

All Veterans, 2010 

Characteristic Sheltered Homeless 

Veterans 

Poor 

Veterans 

All 

Veterans 

Number 144,842 1,356,610 22,383,167 

Gender 

Female 8.0% 10.2% 6.8% 

Male 92.0% 89.8% 93.2% 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 92.5% 93.5% 95.0% 

Hispanic/Latino 7.5% 6.5% 5.0% 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 52.1% 70.3% 81.5% 

White, Hispanic/Latino 5.1% 4.1% 3.4% 

Black or African American 35.1% 18.9% 10.4% 

Asian 0.5% 1.1% 1.2% 

American Indian or Alaska Native 2.5% 1.4% 0.7% 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.4% 0.2% 0.1% 

Several races 4.4% 4.0% 2.7% 

Age 

18 - 30 

31 - 50 

51 - 61 

8.8% 8.3% 5.2% 

41.2% 25.4% 22.8% 

41.3% 27.4% 24.0% 

62 and older 8.6% 38.9% 48.0% 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community 

Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

Gender—The gender composition of homeless veterans is similar to that of all veterans, largely male. 

Women make up a decidedly small share of the sheltered veteran and total veteran populations. In 2010, 

women comprised only 8 percent of the sheltered veteran population, and only 7 percent of the total 

veteran population. 

Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 7 
Race and Ethnicity—The racial and ethnic composition of sheltered veterans looks markedly different 

than that of all veterans. Minority groups are overrepresented among the sheltered veteran population. 

African Americans constitute just more than 10 percent of the total veteran population in the U.S., but 

represent more than 35 percent of sheltered homeless veterans. Other minority groups including Asian, 

American Indian and Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, and those of several races together comprise 

almost 8 percent of the homeless veteran population, and almost 6 percent of the total veteran population. 

Hispanic or Latino veterans are slightly overrepresented among the homeless veteran population as they 

represent approximately 5 percent of the total veteran population compared with almost 8 percent of the 

sheltered veteran population. 

In contrast, white, non-Hispanic/non-Latino veterans are underrepresented among the homeless veteran 

population. While a majority of sheltered veterans identify as white, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (52 

percent), nearly 82 percent of all veterans in 2010 were white, non-Hispanic/non-Latino. 

Age—Homeless veterans are younger on average than the total veteran population. Approximately 

9 percent are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 50 percent are between the ages of 18 and 50. 

Conversely, only 5 percent of all veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30 and fewer than 30 percent 

are under the age of 50 (see Exhibit 3-2). 

The fact that veterans between the ages of 18 and 30 are overrepresented among the homeless population 

merits further research, as some are likely to be veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring 

Freedom, or Operation New Dawn. 

Exhibit 3-2: Sheltered, Poor and Total Veterans by Age Group 

8.8% 

41.2% 41.3% 

8.3% 

25.4% 27.4% 

5.2% 

22.8% 24.0% 

0.0% 

10.0% 

20.0% 

30.0% 

40.0% 

50.0% 

60.0% 

18-30 31-50 51-61 

Veterans by Age, 2010 

Sheltered Veterans Poor Veterans All Veterans 

8.7% 

38.9% 

48.0% 

62+ 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community Survey 

3-Year Estimates 

8 Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 
3.2 Sheltered Veterans by Household Type 

The demographic characteristics of homeless veterans vary depending on their household type. This 

report uses two categories of household type: individual and persons in families. An individual is a 

veteran who is experiencing homelessness alone.2 Veterans in families refers to veterans who are 

experiencing homelessness as a part of a family, with at least one minor child. 

Sheltered veterans on the whole are individuals, living alone. In 2010, 98 percent of veterans who 

accessed residential services did so as individuals. Because of this, the characteristics of individuals are 

by and large the same as those of all sheltered veterans. 

Only 2 percent of sheltered veterans were homeless as a part of a family. The characteristics for this 

small portion of the sheltered veteran population are much different. Sheltered veterans in families are 

more likely than individuals to be women, younger, and belong to a minority group. Sheltered veterans in 

families are also less likely to be disabled (see Exhibit 3-3). Appendix B provides additional details and 

comparisons between sheltered veteran individuals and families. 

Exhibit 3-3: Comparison of Sheltered Veteran Individuals and Families 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Typical Sheltered Veteran Individual 

• Male (93%), 

• White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (53%), 

• Between 51 and 61 (42%), 

• Disabled (51%). 

Typical Sheltered Veteran in Family 

• Male (54%), 

• White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (41%), 

• Between 18 and 30 (46%), 

• Not Disabled (73%). 

3.3 Sheltered Veterans Compared to Sheltered Non-Veterans 

Considerable differences exist between the sheltered homeless veteran population and the sheltered 

non-veteran population. For both families and individuals, sheltered veterans are more likely to be male, 

White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino, between the ages of 51 and 61, and disabled (see Exhibit 3-4). 

“Individual” refers to anyone who is not a part of a family, with at least one minor child. In most cases, these 

individuals are by themselves, but multiple-adult households are also considered Individuals. 

Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 9 

2 
Exhibit 3-4: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans and Sheltered Non veterans -

Characteristics 

Veterans Non-veterans 

All Sheltered Sheltered All Individual Sheltered 

Sheltered Individual Veterans in Sheltered Sheltered Non-veteran 

Veterans Veterans Families1 Nonveteran 

Adults 

Non-veteran 

Adults 

Adults in 

Families2 

Number of Persons3 

Gender 

144,842 141,975 4,425 1,113,085 900,227 225,578 

Male 92.0% 93.4% 53.5% 58.8% 68.2% 21.6% 

Female 

Ethnicity 

8.0% 6.6% 46.5% 41.2% 31.8% 78.4% 

Non-Hispanic/ 

Non-Latino 

92.5% 92.6% 89.8% 82.8% 85.8% 78.1% 

Hispanic/Latino 

Race 

7.5% 7.4% 10.2% 17.2% 14.2% 21.9% 

White, nonHispanic/nonLatino 

52.1% 52.6% 40.5% 40.6% 46.3% 30.9% 

White, 

Hispanic/Latino 

5.1% 5.1% 4.5% 10.1% 8.9% 12.1% 

Black or 

African 

American 

35.1% 34.9% 39.8% 37.3% 34.5% 42.1% 

Asian 0.5% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 

American Indian 

or Alaska Native 

2.5% 2.5% 1.9% 3.2% 2.4% 4.6% 

Several Races 0.4% 0.2% 5.4% 0.7% 0.4% 1.1% 

Unknown 

Age 

4.4% 4.3% 7.2% 7.4% 6.7% 8.5% 

18 - 30 8.8% 7.7% 46.2% 32.4% 26.2% 56.6% 

31 - 50 41.2% 41.1% 45.7% 47.8% 50.0% 39.3% 

51 - 61 41.3% 42.4% 7.0% 16.3% 19.7% 2.8% 

62 and older 

Disabled 

8.7% 8.9% 1.1% 2.9% 3.6% 0.3% 

Yes 50.5% 51.2% 26.6% 35.2% 40.5% 15.1% 

No 49.6% 48.8% 73.4% 64.8% 59.5% 84.9% 1 In the AHAR, a family is defined as a household composed of at least one adult and one child. Household status is 

determined when the household enters an emergency shelter or transitional housing program during the 12-month 

reporting period. The estimate of households that are families may be an undercount if a household accesses shelter 

as an individual but has family members living elsewhere (e.g., with family or friends). 2 The demographic characteristics for non-veterans in families are limited to adults only, except for ethnicity and race. 

Information on ethnicity and race are not reported separately to the AHAR for adults and children. 3 For both sheltered veterans and sheltered non-veterans, the sum of individuals and persons in families may not equal 

the total number of people in each category because some people were served as both individuals and as members of 

families. The total number of people in each category is an unduplicated count. 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American 

Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

10 Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 
-

Minority groups are overrepresented across household types in both the sheltered veteran and non-veteran 

populations. However, the extent of overrepresentation is much greater for non-veterans. Nearly 60 

percent of all sheltered non-veterans (and close to 70 percent of non-veteran adults in families) were 

members of a minority group compared to 48 percent of veterans (and 60 percent of veterans in families). 

Compared to non-veterans, sheltered veterans are much more likely to be male, representing 93 percent of 

individuals and 54 percent of veterans in families compared to 68 percent and 22 percent of non-veterans. 

Homeless veterans are more likely than non-veterans to be disabled. More than 51 percent of sheltered 

veteran individuals are disabled compared to 41 percent of non-veteran individuals. However, lower rates 

of disability are experienced by persons in families in both groups. 

The most striking difference between sheltered veterans and non-veterans is in their age distributions. A 

relatively small share of sheltered veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30; most (nearly 83 percent) 

are middle-aged, between 31 and 61. Conversely, roughly one-third of sheltered non-veterans are 

between 18 and 30, almost four times the share of sheltered veterans. In both groups, adult persons in 

families are younger; 46 percent of sheltered veterans and 57 percent of sheltered non-veterans are 

younger adults. 

Exhibit 3-5: Comparisons of Sheltered Veterans and Sheltered Non veterans 

Typical Sheltered Veteran 

• Male (92%), 

• White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (52%), 

• Between 51 and 61 (41%), and 

• Disabled (51%). 

Typical Sheltered Non-veteran 

• Male (59%), 

• White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (41%), 

• Between 31 and 50 (48%), and 

• Not disabled (65%). 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans 11 

4. Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 

This section presents several comparisons using risk ratios to determine whether homelessness is more or 

less likely among veterans with certain characteristics. The risk ratios are based on two types of 

comparisons: 

 Veterans compared to non-veteran adults. This comparison suggests whether veterans are more or 

less likely than non-veterans to be homeless. 

 Veterans living in poverty compared to non-veteran adults living in poverty. This comparison 

suggests whether poor veterans are more or less likely than poor non-veterans to be homeless. 

The risk ratios are calculated by dividing the proportion of the veteran population that is homeless by the 

proportion of the comparison population that is homeless. A risk ratio of 1.0 indicates that veterans are 

equally likely as the non-veteran comparison population to be homeless. A risk ratio that is greater than 

1.0 suggests that veterans are at greater risk of homelessness; less than 1.0 indicates that veterans are at 

lower risk of homelessness. 

For example, 0.8 percent of individual veterans are homeless, and 0.7 percent of individual non-veteran 

adults are homeless. The risk ratio is 0.8/0.7 or 1.1, meaning that individual veterans are 1.1 times as 

likely as individual non-veteran adults to be homeless. Among people living below the poverty line, 13 

percent of individual veterans are homeless while 6 percent of individual non-veteran adults are homeless. 

In this case, the risk ratio is 13/6 or 2.1, which indicates that individual veterans living in poverty are 2.1 

times as likely as individual non-veteran adults living in poverty to be homeless. 

Because so few veterans who experience homelessness do so as members of families, most comparisons 

are made between veterans and non-veteran adults who are homeless as individuals. In addition, many of 

the comparisons described in this section are made between veterans and other subpopulations living in 

poverty. Appendix C provides the detailed information used to calculate the risk ratios. 

4.1 Gender as a Risk Factor 

As described in earlier sections, few homeless veterans are women. However, as shown in Exhibit 4-1, 

female veterans are more than twice as likely to be homeless when compared to female non-veterans in 

the U.S. (2.5) and female veterans living in poverty are more than three times as likely to be homeless 

than female non-veterans in the poverty population (3.4). 

By contrast, individual male veterans appear to be at lower risk of homelessness than their non-veteran 

male counterparts; however, male veterans living in poverty are at greater risk of homelessness than nonveteran males living in poverty. 

For all veterans and veterans in poverty, being in a family seems to be protective against becoming 

homeless. As shown in Exhibit 4-1, the risk of homelessness for veterans is much lower for persons in 

families than it is for individuals. This protective aspect of being in a family is most noticeable among 

females. While female veterans in families have the same risk of homelessness as non-veteran female 

adults in U.S. families, individual female veterans are 2.5 times as likely to be homeless as individual 

female non-veterans. Poor female veterans in families are at 1.7 times greater risk of homelessness 

compared to adult non-veteran women living in poverty, but poor individual female veterans experience 

more than 3 times the risk of homelessness as individual non-veteran females in poverty. Male veterans 

in families are at lower risk of homelessness relative to any of the comparison populations. 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 13 
Exhibit 4-1: Risk of Homelessness among Veterans, by Household and Gender 

Gender 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans1 

Compared to NonVeteran Adults 

in the U.S. Population 

Compared to Non-Veteran 

Adults 

Living in Poverty 

Individuals 

Female 

Male 

Persons in Families 

Female 

Male 

2.5 3.4 

0.7 1.3 

1.0 1.7 

0.4 0.7 1 The risk ratios compare the proportion of the veteran population that is homeless in relation to the 

proportion of the non-veteran comparison population that is homeless. The comparison 

populations are non-veteran adults in the U.S. population and non-veteran adults living in poverty. 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American 

Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

4.2 Race and Ethnicity as Risk Factors 

The risk ratios in Exhibit 4-2 confirm the finding presented earlier (see Exhibit 3-1) that rates of 

homelessness are much higher for veterans who are African American and Native American than for 

veterans who are not members of minority groups, particularly among those living in poverty. 

Exhibit 4-2: Risk of Homelessness among Individual Sheltered Veterans, by Ethnicity 

and Race 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans1 

Ethnicity and Race Compared to NonVeteran Adults in the 

U.S. Population 

Ethnicity 

Race 

Compared to NonVeteran Adults Living 

in Poverty 

Non-Hispanic/non-Latino 1.1 2.1 

Hispanic/Latino 1.5 2.8 

White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino 1.1 2.0
 

White, Hispanic/Latino
 1.4 2.7
 

Black or African American
 1.4 2.2
 

Asian
 3.0 5.9
 

American Indian or Alaska Native
 1.2 2.0
 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
 0.8 1.1
 

Other
 1.6 2.6 

The risk ratios compare the proportion of the individual adult veteran population that is homeless in 

relation to the proportion of the non-veteran comparison population that is homeless. The 

comparison populations are non-veteran individual adults in the U.S. population and non-veteran 

individual adults living in poverty. The risk ratios comparing veteran adults in families and nonveteran adults in families are not shown here, but are presented in appendix C-2. 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American 

Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

14 Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 

1 
Hispanic/Latino veterans are at particularly high risk of becoming homeless. Among individuals, 

Hispanic/Latino veterans have a 50 percent greater risk of homelessness than adult Hispanic/Latino nonveterans (1.5) and poor Hispanic/Latino veterans are almost three times more likely to be homeless than 

adult Hispanic/Latino non-veterans living in poverty (2.8). Indeed, almost 18 percent of poor 

Hispanic/Latino veterans living alone used emergency shelter or transitional housing at some time during 

the year, compared with 13 percent of poor non-Hispanic/non-Latino veterans. 

Similarly, more than 26 percent of African American individual veterans with incomes below the poverty 

line were homeless at some point during 2010, as were 26 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native 

veterans living alone and in poverty. 

 Poor African American veterans are 2.2 times more likely to be homeless than poor African 

American non-veterans. 

 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans who are poor are 2 times more likely to be homeless 

than American Indian and Alaska Native non-veterans who are poor. 

The risk ratios for veterans in families across all racial and ethnic groups are much lower and generally do 

not differ among these groups. Being part of a family, even a poor family, appears to be a strong 

protection for veterans against becoming homeless.3 

4.3 Age as a Risk Factor 

As Exhibit 4-3 indicates, veterans aged 18 to 30 are more than two times as likely to be homeless as 

young non-veteran adults and young veterans living in poverty are 3.7 times as likely to be homeless as 

young non-veteran adults living in poverty. 

Exhibit 4-3: Risk of Homelessness among Individual Sheltered Veterans, by Age 

Age 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans1 

Compared to Non-Veteran Adults 

in the U.S. Population 

Compared to Non-Veteran Adults Living in 

Poverty 

18 - 30 

31 - 50 

51 - 61 

62 and older 

2.2 3.7 

1.7 2.2 

2.2 2.8 

1.3 2.8 

1 The risk ratios compare the proportion of the individual adult veteran population that is homeless in relation to 

the proportion of the non-veteran comparison population that is homeless. The comparison populations are 

non-veteran individual adults in the U.S. population and non-veteran individual adults living in poverty. The 

risk ratios comparing veteran adults in families and non-veteran adults in families are not shown here, but are 

presented in appendix C-2. 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community 

Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

The exception seems to be Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, but this is a very small group. Comparisons 

to the race and ethnicity of the overall population of veterans and non-veterans in families must be interpreted 

with some caution, as the HMIS data on which the estimates of sheltered homeless families are based do not 

distinguish the race/ethnicity of adults from that of children. 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 15 

3 
While relatively few homeless veterans are in the youngest age category, this is a particularly important 

cohort to observe as it is likely comprised of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring 

Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. The time lag between becoming a veteran and experiencing 

homelessness is not clear. The rate of homelessness among this group could rise as the time since coming 

home increases. Veterans with personal resources and a strong support network may avoid homelessness 

for many years or avert it altogether, while others with fewer resources and supports may become 

homeless more quickly. Further research in this area is planned. 

4.4 Disability as a Risk Factor 

Homeless veterans are considerably more likely to have a disability than homeless adults who are not 

veterans. About 51 percent of individual homeless veterans have disabilities, compared with 41 percent 

of sheltered homeless non-veteran individuals. Veterans in families are also more likely to have a 

disability than non-veterans in families: 27 percent compared to 15 percent. The homeless veteran 

population is older than the non-veteran homeless, which may contribute to higher rates of disability. 

Risk ratios to illuminate the risk of homelessness among veterans who have disabilities could not be 

calculated because the definition of disability used in the HMIS includes substance abuse (as well as 

mental illness and physical disabilities), which differs from the Census’ definition of disability. 

16 Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 
5. Location of Homeless Veterans 

This section describes the way that veteran homelessness is distributed across the country, as well as the 

location of homeless veterans in various types of communities: suburban, rural, and urban. The 

geographic distribution of veterans across states and regions is based on the 1-night PIT data, while the 

geographic distribution across specific community types relies on the annual HMIS data. See Appendix 

D for the estimated number of veterans on a single night in January 2010 by state. 

5.1 PIT Estimates of Veteran Homelessness by State and Region 

All states have some level of veteran homelessness, but the distribution among the states is quite uneven, 

just as homelessness in the general population is unevenly distributed across states. On a single night in 

January 2010, four states—California, New York, Florida, and Texas—accounted for 50 percent of 

homeless veterans in the nation. These same states accounted for 46 percent of the total homeless 

population, but only 32 percent of the total U.S. population, and 28 percent of all veterans. Many states 

have only a small fraction of the national total of homeless veterans; 29 states each account for less than 1 

percent of the national total. 

Exhibit 5-1 displays the distribution of homeless veterans by state (top map) and the share of each state’s 

total PIT count of homeless persons that are veterans (bottom map). 

Exhibit 5-1: The Distribution and Share of Homeless Veterans by State, 2010 

Distribution of Homeless Veterans on the Night of the PIT Count (N = 76,154) 

Source: Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Counts, 2010 

Location of Homeless Veterans 17 
Share of the PIT Count of Homeless Persons that are Veterans 

Source: Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Counts, 2010 

Some states have a disproportionate share of the total homeless veteran population when compared with 

their total populations. For example, California’s share of homeless veterans (25 percent) is twice as 

large as its share of the total population (12 percent), while Texas’ share of homeless veterans (6.7 

percent) is somewhat less than its share of the total population (7.6 percent). 

Whether veterans are over or underrepresented among the homeless population in each state can be seen 

by comparing the proportion of veterans among the homeless population to the proportion of veterans 

among the general population. In 24 states, on a single night in January 2010, veterans were 

underrepresented or equally represented in the homeless population compared to the state’s population. 

The states with the greatest underrepresentation were Maine, Oregon, New Jersey, and Hawaii. By 

contrast, in 26 states and the District of Columbia, veterans were overrepresented in the homeless 

population, compared with their proportion in the general population. States with the highest level of 

overrepresentation were Kansas, West Virginia, South Dakota, and Alabama. 

By region (see Exhibit 5-2), veterans are about equally represented among the homeless and general 

populations in the Northeast and Midwest. However, in the South and in the West, veterans are 

overrepresented in the homeless population. In the South the proportion of veterans is about 2.8 percent 

higher in the homeless population than in the region’s total population, and in the West the proportion is 

about 3.5 percent higher in the homeless population. 

18 Location of Homeless Veterans 
Exhibit 5-2: Representation of Veterans in the Homeless and U.S. Populations in 2010, by Region 

US Region Percent of Total PIT Estimate of 

the Homeless Population 

Percent of U.S. Population 

Northeast 8.6% 8.4% 

Midwest 10.0% 9.9% 

South 13.3% 10.5% 

West 12.9% 9.4% 

Source: Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Counts, January 2010. 

5.2 Location of Homeless Veterans – Principal Cities and Suburban or Rural Areas 

All types of communities, including urban, suburban, and rural locations, are affected by homelessness, 

but the majority of homelessness occurs in large, principal cities (see Exhibit 5-3). The concentration of 

homelessness in our nation’s largest cities is slightly more pronounced among veterans. In 2010, 68 

percent of homeless veterans accessed residential services in principal cities, compared with 64 percent of 

homeless non-veteran adults. 

Exhibit 5-3: Geographic Distribution of Sheltered Homeless Veterans and Comparison Groups 

68.4% 64.4% 

48.1% 

36.6% 31.3% 

31.6% 35.6% 

51.9% 

63.4% 68.7% 

Sheltered Veterans Sheltered Nonveteran Adults Adults in Poverty All U.S. Adults Total Veteran 

Population 

Principal City Suburban or Rural Areas 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010 

The concentration of homelessness and veteran homelessness in principal cities is more notable 

considering that the general adult and total veteran populations have a very different geographic 

distribution; the majority of U.S. adults (63 percent) and the majority of veterans (69 percent) are located 

in suburban and rural areas. 

The profile of veterans who experience homelessness in principal cities differs from that of veterans who 

experience homelessness in suburban and rural locations. First, while the vast majority of homeless 

Location of Homeless Veterans 19 
veterans are male, the suburban and rural group has a slightly larger percentage of female veterans (10 

percent) than the urban group (7 percent). 

Second, homeless veterans in urban areas are more likely to be Hispanic/Latino (10 percent) than those 

located in suburban and rural areas (3 percent). The disproportionate share of Hispanics/Latinos in urban 

areas is also apparent for homeless non-veterans: 21 percent of homeless non-veterans in urban areas are 

Hispanic/Latino compared with 10 percent in suburban and rural locations. 

Third, there is a smaller proportion of White (either Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic/non-Latino) 

homeless veterans in cities than in suburban and rural locations (53 percent compared to 66 percent), and 

larger percentages of minorities in principal cities compared to suburban or rural locations (see Appendix 

B-6). 

Fourth, there is a higher frequency of disability among homeless veterans in suburban and rural areas 

(54 percent) than there is in cities (49 percent). 

In contrast to these geographic differences in gender, ethnicity, race, and disability, there was little 

difference in age distribution of homeless veterans across geographic types. 

Exhibit 5-4: Demographic Differences across Location Type among Sheltered Homeless Veterans 

In Principal Cities In Suburban or Rural Areas 

A small percentage of homeless veterans are 

Hispanic/Latino (10%). 

Veterans are less likely to be White (53%). 

Veterans are more like to be African American 

(39%). 

Veterans are less likely to have a disability (49%). 

Hispanics/Latinos make up an even smaller percentage 

of homeless veterans (3%) than in cities. 

Veterans are more likely to be White (66%) 

Veterans are less likely to be African American (27%). 

Veterans are more likely to have a disability (54%). 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010 

20 Location of Homeless Veterans 
-

6. How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 

Annual HMIS data are collected on the prior living situation of all people (veterans and non-veterans) 

who experience homelessness over the course of the year. These data are used to identify specifically 

how veterans access the shelter system and how they use the system. 

6.1 Prior Living Situation of Veterans Accessing the Shelter System 

Understanding how veterans access the shelter system can provide valuable information about how HUDand VA-funded prevention programs can intercede and prevent a veteran from becoming homeless. This 

section uses HMIS data on where veterans stayed the night prior to entering an emergency shelter or 

transitional housing program to identify early points of intervention for preventing homelessness among 

veterans. 

All Sheltered Veterans 

Many homeless veterans who accessed the shelter system in 2010 were cycling through the shelter 

system. Among all veterans, the most common prior living situation of veterans accessing the system 

was another homeless situation (see Exhibit 6-1). Approximately 48 percent of veterans who entered 

shelter in 2010 were staying in an emergency shelter, transitional housing program, or an unsheltered 

location just prior to entry. Of those veterans who were homeless prior to shelter entry, half came from 

another emergency shelter and more than two-fifths came from an unsheltered living situation. Only a 

very small portion came from transitional housing programs. 

Exhibit 6-1: Prior Living Situation of Sheltered Veterans and Non veterans 

Living Arrangement 

All Adults 

Sheltered 

Veteran 

Sheltered 

Non-veteran 

Adult Individuals 

Sheltered 

Veteran 

Sheltered 

Non-veteran 

Adults in Families 

Sheltered 

Veteran 

Sheltered 

Non-veteran 

Already Homeless 

Housing Situation 

Institutional Setting 

Other situation 

47.6% 38.0% 

28.6% 43.4% 

14.7% 10.4% 

8.6% 7.9% 

48.5% 31.6% 

27.5% 37.4% 

15.1% 12.6% 

8.5% 7.9% 

22.7% 23.9% 

64% 66.2% 

2.0% 1.8% 

11.1% 7.8% 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Many other veterans were housed just prior to accessing a homeless residential service. More than onequarter of sheltered veterans were living in housing units that they owned or rented or were staying with 

friends or family the night prior to homelessness. Among those who were housed, 32 percent were in 

units that they owned or rented, and 68 percent were doubled up with friends or family. Veterans in 

families were much more likely than veteran individuals to enter the shelter system from a housed 

situation: 28 percent of individuals came from housing compared with 64 percent of veterans in families. 

Just about half of veterans in families who came from housing were doubled up with family members the 

night prior to homelessness. See Appendix B-7 for details on prior living situations of homeless veterans. 

A considerable proportion of veterans came from an institutional setting (15 percent) or some other 

situation such as a hotel or motel (9 percent) prior to entering shelter in 2010. Veterans accessing 

services from an institutional setting came mostly from substance abuse treatment centers, nonpsychiatric hospitals, or jails/prisons, less so from psychiatric facilities (see Appendix B-8). The sizable 

How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 21 
–

proportion of veterans coming from institutional settings was driven almost entirely by homeless 

individuals; very few veterans in families (2 percent) came from an institutional setting. 

Compared to non-veterans, sheltered veterans are much more likely to already be homeless at shelter 

entry. Across household types, sheltered veterans are less likely to access services from a housed 

situation. A greater share of sheltered veterans accessed services from an institutional setting. 

Veterans Who Were Not Homeless Prior to Shelter Entry 

Among sheltered veterans who were not homeless prior to accessing shelter services, a significant portion 

of them came from doubled up living situations. Thirty-eight percent of sheltered homeless veterans who 

were not already homeless prior to entering shelter in 2010 were living with family and friends (see 

Exhibit 6-2). The flow of veterans from family/friends and into the shelter system was strikingly different 

among veteran individuals and those in families. About 36 percent of individual veterans and 62 percent 

of veterans in families who were not previously homeless came from family or friends. The much lower 

proportion of individual veterans coming from these situations may indicate that their support networks 

are not as strong as those of veterans in families. To be sure, homeless individual veterans are less likely 

to come from family or friends than their non-veteran counterparts. 

Exhibit 6-2: Veterans who were Not Homeless Prior to Shelter Entry Possible Points of 

Intervention, 2010 

Veterans Non-Veterans 

Prior Living 

Situation 

All Sheltered 

Veterans 

Sheltered 

Individual 

Veterans 

Sheltered 

Veterans 

in Families 

All Sheltered 

Nonveterans 

Sheltered 

Nonveterans 

Individual 

Adults 

Sheltered 

Nonveteran 

Adults in 

Families 

Staying with family 20.3% 19.3% 41.9% 30.1% 27.2% 38.8% 

Staying with friends 17.2% 17.1% 19.9% 22.2% 23.3% 18.9% 

Rented housing unit 14.1% 13.9% 19.4% 17.8% 14.5% 28.1% 

Other living 

arrangement 

10.8% 11.2% 3.2% 8.0% 9.1% 4.6% 

Substance abuse 

treatment center or 

detox 

10.3% 10.7% 1.9% 3.6% 4.6% 0.4% 

Jail, prison, or 

juvenile detention 

8.4% 8.8% 0.3% 6.6% 8.7% 0.4% 

Hospital (nonpsychiatric) 6.5% 6.8% 0.4% 1.7% 2.1% 0.3% 

Hotel or motel (no 

voucher) 

5.5% 5.2% 11.1% 5.1% 5.1% 5.1% 

Owned housing unit 3.1% 3.2% 1.6% 2.4% 2.1% 3.2% 

Psychiatric facility 3.1% 3.2% 0.1% 2.0% 2.6% 0.1% 

Permanent Supportive 

Housing 

0.5% 0.5% 0.1% 0.3% 0.3% 0.1% 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

22 How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 
Many other veterans who were not homeless prior to accessing shelter services came from substance 

abuse treatment centers or prison. The percentages coming from these institutional settings are 

considerably higher for veterans than non-veterans. Almost 30 percent of sheltered veterans (not already 

homeless) were discharged from substance abuse treatment centers, jails or prisons, hospitals, or 

psychiatric facilities directly into homelessness. By and large these veterans are individuals, as veterans 

in families do not often access shelter from institutional settings. These data highlight a clear point for 

homelessness prevention programs to intercede and help thousands of veterans avert homelessness. 

Similarly, discharge planning efforts must routinely assess homelessness risk. 

Roughly 17 percent of sheltered veterans not homeless prior to shelter entry in 2010 accessed shelter 

directly from housing that they rented or owned, including 17 percent of individual veterans and 21 

percent of veterans in families. A higher percentage of veterans than non-veterans spent the night prior to 

shelter entry in housing that they owned. While a relatively small percentage (3 percent), it nonetheless 

means that 2,200 veterans went from homeownership to homelessness overnight. Thus for 17 percent of 

veterans, homelessness could possibly be prevented by stabilizing them in their existing home. 

6.2 Patterns of Shelter Use 

In 2010, nearly 30 percent of veterans accessed the shelter system having stayed in another emergency 

shelter or transitional housing program the night prior. This pattern of “churning” highlights the 

considerable amount of movement by veterans within the shelter system. This section will explore the 

patterns of residential service use by veterans in 2010. 

Over the course of the year, most veterans (75 percent) used only emergency shelter services. Just fewer 

than 20 percent used transitional housing only and about 5 percent utilized both types of program during 

the year (see Exhibit 6-3). This pattern of service use holds steady across household types. 

However, there are differences in service use patterns when comparing veterans and non-veterans. Nonveteran individuals are more likely to use only shelter services (83 percent) compared to veteran 

individuals (75 percent). Non-veterans were less likely to use transitional housing programs alone (12.5 

percent compared to 20 percent) and were equally likely to use both. 

Emergency Shelter

Only 

74.8% 

Transitional 

Housing

Only 

19.9% 

Both Emergency 

Shelters and 

Transitional Housing 

Programs 

5.2% 

Exhibit 6-3 Type of Program Used by Sheltered Veterans, 2010 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010 

How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 23 
6.3 Length of Stay 

As part of the AHAR reporting process, communities were asked to report on the cumulative number of 

days that a person spent in emergency shelter or transitional housing programs during the 12-month 

reporting period (October 2009 to September 2010). For example, if a veteran accessed emergency 

shelter twice, the first time for 10 days and the second for 5 days, his or her length of stay would be 15 

days. The maximum length of stay is 365 nights (or the full reporting period).4 

Over the course of the year, most veterans experience only brief stays in emergency shelter (see Exhibit 

6-4). Just about one-third of veterans who stayed in shelter did so for 1 week or less. Almost two-thirds 

(61 percent) stayed in emergency shelter for 1 month or less, and 85 percent stayed for 3 months or less. 

As shown in the exhibit, the percentage of veterans staying longer than 3 months drops sharply. 

Exhibit 6-4: Length of Stay (in days) by Program Type 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

1 week or less 1 week to 1 

month 

1 to 3 months 3 to 6 months 6 to 9 months 9 to 12 

months 

1 year or more 

Percent of Veterans in Shelter System

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010 

Veterans in 

Emergency Shelter 

Veterans in 

Transitional Housing 

Veterans in Permanent 

Supportive Housing 

Length of stay is measured within the reporting period—from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010—and thus 

will truncate the full length of stay of some veterans in shelter. For example, it is possible that some veterans 

stayed for longer periods of time if they either entered shelter prior to the start of the reporting period and were 

still in shelter after October 1, or if they stayed in shelter after September 30. 

24 How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 

4 
The length of stay for veterans in transitional housing tends to be longer due to the nature of the program. 

Transitional housing generally provides up to 24 months of either project-based or scattered-site housing 

with mandatory supportive services attached. About one-quarter of veterans (24 percent) stayed in shelter 

for 1 to 3 months. More than half of veterans (56 percent) living in transitional housing at some point in 

2010 stayed for more than 3 months, and one-third stayed between 3 and 9 months. Exhibit 6-2 displays 

the lengths of stay by veterans in transitional housing and emergency shelter. Veterans in permanent 

supportive housing will be discussed in the next section. 

How Veterans Access and Use the Shelter System 25 

7. Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans 

For the first time this year, the AHAR includes information on the use of Permanent Supportive Housing 

(PSH) programs.5 This section will examine veterans served in PSH, what services they used prior to 

entering PSH, and how long veterans remained there. 

PSH programs provide permanent housing with supportive services to individuals and families. Because 

PSH provides tenants with permanent homes, they are no longer homeless and thus are not counted or 

reported in earlier sections of this report. Nonetheless, PSH is an important component of nearly all 

CoCs, an essential tool to ending homelessness, and the focus of federal resources and policy. Indeed, 

almost 295,000 people lived in PSH at some point over the course of 2010,6 and more than 22,000 of 

them were veterans (or about 8 percent of the total PSH population). Most veterans (97 percent) were 

living in PSH as unaccompanied individuals. 

Residents of PSH programs often represent the hardest-to-serve population. These individuals and 

families have typically experienced multiple homeless episodes or extended periods of homelessness, and 

frequently are identified as having a physical or psychological disability. The following sections describe 

the characteristics of veterans living in PSH. 

Demographic Characteristics of Veterans in PSH 

The characteristics of a typical veteran in PSH are as follows: 

 Male (91 percent), 

 White, non-Hispanic/non-Latino (50 percent), 

 Between the ages of 51 and 61 (47 percent), 

 And disabled (80 percent). 

Veterans in families who reside in PSH were much more likely than individuals to be younger and 

female. Approximately 42 percent were female (compared to 8 percent of individuals), and 14 percent 

were between the ages of 18 and 30 (compared to 4 percent for individuals). 

5	 The estimates of veterans in PSH do not include veterans living in HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUDVASH) programs. 6	 The 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development; Washington DC. 

Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans 27 
Exhibit 7-1: Difference between Sheltered Veteran Individuals and Families, 2010 

Veteran in PSH 

• Male (91%), 

• White, non-Hispanic, non-Latino

(50%), 

• Between 51 and 61 (47%), 

• Disabled (80%). 

Non-veteran in PSH 

• Female (52%), 

• African American (46%), 

• Between 31 and 50 (36%), 

• Disabled (79%). 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010 

Veterans in PSH differ considerably from non-veterans in PSH. Non-veterans in PSH are more likely to 

be female (52 percent), Black or African American (46 percent), and between 31 and 50 (36 percent). 

Veterans and non-veterans in PSH have similar rates of disability (79 percent). 

Location of Veterans in PSH 

By and large, veterans in PSH live in urban areas. Almost 78 percent of veterans in PSH lived in 

principal cities in 2010 compared with 70 percent of non-veterans in PSH and 68 percent of all sheltered 

veterans. 

Prior Living Situation of Veterans in PSH 

Veterans entering PSH most often do so directly from homelessness. Approximately three out of four 

veterans in PSH spent the night prior to program entry in emergency shelter, transitional housing, or in an 

unsheltered place. Less than 10 percent of veterans in PSH came from some housed situation (either 

doubled up with friends or family or in an owned or rented housing unit). Compared to non-veterans, 

veterans in PSH are more likely to come from a homeless situation (76 percent compared to 65 percent), 

less likely to come from a housed situation (10 percent compared to 17 percent), and equally likely to 

come from an institutional setting (6 percent). 

Use of Other Residential Services 

A small number of veterans in 2010 accessed emergency shelter or a transitional housing program either 

prior to entering PSH or during their stay in PSH. About 8 percent of individual veterans and 3 percent of 

veterans in families in PSH utilized emergency shelter during the reporting period. Fewer accessed 

transitional housing programs—4 percent of individuals and 1 percent of veterans in families. Because of 

the long-term nature of PSH, there is not as much movement into and out of the programs compared to 

emergency shelter and transitional housing programs. The patterns of service use are remarkably similar 

between veterans and non-veterans in PSH, except non-veteran families have a slightly higher rate of 

emergency shelter use (6 percent compared to 3 percent). 

28 Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans 
Destination of Exit 

The goal of many PSH programs is to stabilize individuals and families and move them back into the 

community. Information about the destination of people who exit from PSH suggests whether these 

programs are accomplishing this goal. 

The most common destination at exit was a rented housing unit (see Exhibit 7-2). One-third of veterans 

in PSH exited to a housing unit that they rented or owned. Many other veterans who exited from PSH 

moved in with a family member (14 percent) or went to some institutional setting (14 percent), most often 

a substance abuse treatment center. The percentages of veterans exiting to various locations is relatively 

similar to those of non-veterans exiting PSH, with one noticeable difference: the rate of veterans exiting 

to an institutional setting is double that of non-veterans. Half of veterans exiting to an institutional setting 

exited to a substance abuse treatment facility. Approximately 7 percent of veterans (and 5 percent of nonveterans) returned to homelessness. 

Exhibit 7-2: Veterans in PSH Destination at Exit, 2010 

Destination at Exit Veteran Non-veteran 

Apartment or house that you own 

Apartment or house that you rent 

Permanent housing for formerly homeless persons 

Living with a family member 

Living with a friend 

Institutional Setting 

Homelessness (Emergency Shelter, Transitional 

Housing, Unsheltered place) 

Other/Unknown 

1% 

33% 

4% 

14% 

5% 

14% 

7% 

21% 

3% 

39% 

6% 

15% 

7% 

7% 

5% 

19% 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Permanent Supportive Housing Use by Veterans 29 

8. Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010 

This report marks the first time that year-to-year changes in the homeless veteran population are 

examined. Using annual HMIS data, this section describes the numbers and characteristics of veterans 

using emergency shelter or transitional housing programs during the last two reporting periods. While the 

reporting periods cover October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009 and October 1 2009 to September 30, 

2010, they will be referred to as 2009 and 2010. 

Changes in the estimates of homeless veterans, demographic characteristics, location, and access to and 

use of residential services will be explored. 

8.1 Changes in the Estimates and Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans, 2009 to 2010 

In 2010, an estimated 144,842 veterans were in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs at 

some point during the year. This represents a slight decrease (3 percent) in the number of sheltered 

veterans, down from 149,635 in 2009 (see Exhibit 8-1). 

The 2009 estimates reported in Exhibit 8-1 differ from the estimates that were first reported in the 2009 

AHAR Veterans report. The difference is due to a methodological change that occurred between 2009 

and 2010 to account for VA programs that serve homeless veterans but were unreported to CoCs. For this 

report, researchers were able to account for these programs and incorporate them into the standard 

weighting approach used to produce the national estimates.7 Thus the 2010 annual estimates of sheltered 

homeless veterans statistically adjust for these programs and the veterans who use them—resulting in a 

more accurate estimate of sheltered homelessness among veterans. Researchers retroactively applied the 

new methodology to the 2009 data, resulting in the revised estimates and percentages throughout this 

section. 

The rate of change in sheltered homelessness among veterans was much different for veteran adults in 

families than individuals. As shown in Exhibit 8-1, the number of sheltered veteran adults in families 

decreased by 13 percent between 2009 and 2010 compared to a decrease of about 3 percent among 

sheltered veteran individuals. The number of veterans who were homeless on a given night in January of 

2010 was slightly higher than it was in 2009. 

There were few notable changes in the characteristics of the sheltered veteran population between 2009 

and 2010 (see Exhibit 8-2). For the most part, the small changes that did occur enhanced the typical 

profile of a sheltered veteran. Sheltered veterans in 2010 were more likely to be White, nonHispanic/non-Latino (+2.8 percent) and thus less likely to be a minority. 

Appendix B in the 2010 AHAR provides a detailed explanation of the standard weighing approach. 

Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010 31 

7 
Exhibit 8-1: Changes in Estimates of Homeless Veterans, 2009 to 2010 

Estimates Revised 2009 2010 Change 

Number Percent 

Total Sheltered Veterans1 

Sheltered Veteran Individuals 

Sheltered Veteran Adults in Families 

PIT Estimates of Homeless Veterans 

All Veterans 

149,635 

145,691 

5,091 

75,609 

22,383,167 

144,842 

141,975 

4,425 

76,329 

22,906,784 

-4,793 

-3,716 

-666 

720 

523,617 

-3.2% 

-2.6% 

-13.1% 

+1.0% 

+2.3% 1 The estimate of sheltered veterans reported originally in the 2009 AHAR Veterans report was 136,334. The 

estimate was revised to account for VA programs that serve homeless veterans but were unreported to CoCs. 

Appendix A describes the methodology for producing these estimates. Also, the sum of sheltered veteran 

individuals and adults in families will not sum to the total because a small percentage of veterans (0.8 percent) 

were served in both types of households. 

Source: Homeless Management Information System data, 2009 and 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American 

Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

Exhibit 8-2: Changes in Characteristics of Sheltered Veterans, 2009-2010 

Characteristic 2009 2010 PercentagePoint Change 

Number 149,636 144,842 

Gender of Adults 

Female 7.5% 8.0% 

Male 92.6% 92.0% 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 89.2% 92.5% 

Hispanic/Latino 10.9% 7.5% 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 49.3% 52.1% 

White, Hispanic/Latino 8.0% 5.1% 

Black or African American 34.2% 35.1% 

Asian 0.3% 0.5% 

American Indian or Alaska Native 3.4% 2.5% 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.4% 0.4% 

Several races 4.3% 4.4% 

Age 

18 to 30 8.1% 8.8% 

31 to 50 44.7% 41.2% 

51 to 61 38.4% 41.3% 

62 and older 8.7% 8.7% 

Disabled (adults only) 

Yes 52.6% 50.5% 

No 47.4% 49.5% 

-­

0.5% 

-0.6% 

3.3% 

-3.4% 

2.8% 

-2.9% 

0.9% 

0.2% 

-0.9% 

0% 

0.1% 

0.7% 

-3.5% 

2.9% 

0.0% 

-2.1% 

2.1% 

Source: Homeless Management Information System data, 2010 

32 Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010 
Also, sheltered veterans in 2010 were slightly more likely to be female than they were in 2009, and 

slightly more likely to be between the ages of 18 and 30 or 51 to 61. Fewer sheltered veterans in 2010 

were disabled (see Exhibit 8-2). 

8.2 Changes in the Geographic Location and Service-Use Patterns of Sheltered Veterans 

In 2009, approximately 72 percent of sheltered veterans were living in principal cities while 28 percent 

lived in suburban or rural areas. In 2010, these proportions shifted slightly in favor of suburban or rural 

areas: 68 percent of sheltered veterans lived in principal cities and 32 percent lived in suburban or rural 

areas. The shift in suburban homelessness among veterans is consistent with patterns observed more 

broadly among the total sheltered population in the U.S. 

There was a slight increase in the proportion of sheltered veterans accessing residential services from 

another homeless living situation. In 2010, roughly 48 percent of veterans were homeless the night prior 

to entering the shelter system compared to 46 percent of veterans in 2009. Conversely, fewer veterans 

accessing shelter in the past year did so from a housed situation. In 2009, 32 percent of veterans were 

staying in housing (either with friends or family or in a housing unit of their own) prior to entering shelter 

compared to 

29 percent in 2010. This decrease is largely due to a lower rate of veterans accessing shelter from a 

rented housing unit (see Exhibit 8-3). 

Exhibit 8-3: Prior Living Situation, 2009 and 2010 

2009 2010 

Homeless Situation 

Rented Housing Unit 

Owned Housing Unit 

Staying with Family 

Staying with Friends 

Institutional Setting 

Other 

46.1% 

10.5% 

2.3% 

10.4% 

8.3% 

14.2% 

8.2% 

47.6% 

7.7% 

1.6% 

10.6% 

9.0% 

14.8% 

8.7% 

Source: Homeless Management Information System data, 2010. 

The patterns of shelter use for veterans did not change between 2009 and 2010. In both years roughly 

three-fourths of veterans used emergency shelter alone, one-fifth used transitional housing alone, and 

5 percent accessed both emergency shelter and transitional housing. 

There was no change in the lengths of stay for veterans using emergency shelter services between 2009 

and 2010. Most (about 85 percent) stayed for less than 3 months, with the length of use declining rapidly 

after 3 months. However, there was a small amount of change in the length of stay in transitional housing 

programs among veterans. While most veterans in both years used transitional housing services for 

medium lengths of time (between 3 and 9 months), in 2010 slightly more veterans utilized transitional 

housing programs for less than 3 months than did in 2009. 

Trends in Veteran Homelessness, 2009 to 2010 33 

9. Concluding Observations 

This report, Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment 

Report to Congress provides policymakers, practitioners, and the general public with information about 

the extent and nature of veteran homelessness. It is the second report on veteran homelessness released 

jointly by HUD and the VA, providing new information to support the federal interagency collaboration 

to prevent and end homelessness among veterans. For the first time, the report describes year-to-year 

changes in the number and characteristics of veteran homelessness, as well as changes in the geographic 

location and service use patterns of sheltered homeless veterans. 

This report is being released shortly after the Obama Administration’s decision to drawdown a 

considerable number of troops from Afghanistan, in addition to the continued drawdown of troops from 

Iraq. While still unknown, the impact of these engagements on veteran homelessness is of particular 

concern to policymakers and local practitioners who serve our nation’s veteran population. Setting a 

baseline understanding of how many veterans are homeless and their characteristics, location, and service 

use patterns is critical to gauging the continuing efforts to prevent and end homelessness among this 

population. 

This report shows that a growing share of veterans accessing shelter services are between the ages of 18 

and 30, an age group that is overrepresented among the homeless veteran population compared to their 

share of the total veteran population. The report also shows that young veterans are more than twice as 

likely to become homeless when compared to young non-veteran adults. These findings are particularly 

concerning given the anticipated number of new veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Homelessness prevention efforts will play a critical role for this youngest cohort of veterans. 

Indeed, both HUD and the VA have created initiatives to prevent homelessness for veterans. The 

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is a new VA program that will provide supportive 

services to low-income veterans and their families who are living in—or transitioning to—permanent 

housing. This program aims to promote housing stability among veterans by providing time-limited 

payments to landlords, utility companies, child care providers and other providers to help veterans and 

their families stay in housing. HUD’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRP) program, 

after which SSVF was modeled, is a one-time program funded under the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 that provides communities with funding to assist families and individuals who 

are at risk of homelessness. While HPRP is not targeted to veterans, this program promotes housing 

stability through homelessness prevention services such as rent assistance, utility payments, and the 

payment of arrears, and veterans are eligible recipients. 

The Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration (VHPD) program is a joint homelessness 

prevention effort between HUD, VA, and the Department of Labor. This program primarily targets 

veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing those who may otherwise be 

homeless with housing, health care, and employment services. Together, HUD and the VA committed 

$15 million in 3-year grants to five communities located near military installations. Supporting the goal 

of interagency collaboration, the VA will provide veterans with necessary health and social services, 

HUD will provide short- and medium-term rental assistance, and the Department of Labor will provide 

employment services. This program is intended to increase the national understanding of the unique 

needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and to further the federal government’s goal of 

ending homelessness among veterans. 

In addition, HUD and the VA established the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to 

serve veterans with disabilities and help them achieve long-term stability. This program provides housing 

Concluding Observations 35 
with targeted supportive services, such as case management, mental health services, substance use 

services, and social support. Sustained support for this program will be particularly important for the 

hardest-to-serve group of veterans, those who are chronically homeless. 

Subsequent reports on homeless veterans will monitor changes in the estimates and characteristics of 

homeless veterans, and how they use residential services. These data will continue to be collected 

annually, and the methods used to collect 12-month data will only become more accurate as more 

communities and programs serving homeless veterans report on the number of people they serve. Both 

HUD and the VA will continue to use these reports to measure progress toward ending veteran 

homelessness and to promote the nation’s understanding of homelessness among veterans. 

36 Concluding Observations 
Appendix A: Methodology 

Methodology for the 1-day estimate of homeless veterans 

Every other year, HUD requires all Continuums of Care (CoCs) to conduct a thorough enumeration of all 

sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons and their characteristics on a single night in January. CoCs 

are required to collect information on the veteran status of all sheltered adults but collecting this 

information for unsheltered adults is optional.8 Although 2010 was not a required year, 348 CoCs 

conducted a PIT count. For CoCs that did not do a 2010 PIT count, this report used the numbers they 

reported in their 2009 PIT count. Overall, CoCs counted 61,011 veterans, 36,389 of whom were sheltered 

and 24,728 were unsheltered. 

However, this figure underestimates the extent of homelessness among veterans for several reasons. 

First, many CoCs did not report any information on unsheltered veterans and a few did not report any 

information on sheltered veterans. Second, not all veterans staying in VA-funded homeless programs 

were included in the sheltered homeless counts. Finally, most CoCs used HMIS data to identify sheltered 

veterans and the veteran status information is missing in many HMIS records. The data was adjusted to 

address each of these limitations. The final adjusted estimate indicated that there were 76,329 homeless 

veterans on a single night in January 2010, 43,437 of whom were sheltered and 32,892 were unsheltered. 

Step 1: Adjust for VA homeless programs not included in the PIT count 

Researchers compared the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) data to the VA’s inventory of homeless 

residential beds. There were 5,988 beds for homeless veterans funded by the VA that were not included 

in HIC data reported by CoCs. It was assumed that because CoC’s did not include these programs in their 

housing inventory they were also not included in the CoC’s sheltered count. To estimate the number of 

veterans that were sheltered in these programs on the night of the PIT count, the number of beds was 

multiplied in each program by that program’s average nightly occupancy rate, then these sheltered 

veterans were added to the reported sheltered veterans count for each CoC. For example if VAfunded 

program Y had 100 emergency shelter beds that were not included in CoC Z’s HIC data, and these beds 

had an average occupancy rate of 80 percent, 80 sheltered veterans were added to CoC Z’s sheltered 

veterans count. In total, this adjustment added 5,149 sheltered homeless veterans, increasing the sheltered 

homeless count from 36,389 to 41,538. 

Step 2: Adjust for sheltered adults whose veteran status is unknown 

The 2010 AHAR found that 4.4 percent of HMIS records for sheltered adults were missing information 

for the veteran status variable. The research team assumed that similar missing rates apply to the 

sheltered adult population from the PIT count because a large percentage of CoCs use HMIS to produce 

their sheltered PIT count. To adjust for sheltered adults whose veteran status was unknown, several steps 

were taken. 

First, the research team produced an estimate of the total number of sheltered adults on the night of the 

PIT count because this information is not reported separately by CoCs. To estimate the number of 

sheltered adults, the research team subtracted the total number of unaccompanied youth from the total 

number of persons in households without dependent children and then added one adult for each household 

with dependent children, since this is true for most homeless families. 

Starting with the 2011 PIT count, all CoCs were required to collect information on veteran status of all sheltered 

and unsheltered adults. 

Appendix A: Methodology 37 

8 
Second, the research team multiplied the total number of sheltered adults in each CoC by .044 (or 4.4 

percent) to derive the total number of adults with missing information about their veteran status. Using 

this result, researchers calculated the percent of sheltered adults who were veterans by taking the total 

number of sheltered veterans and dividing it by the sum of adults minus the adults with missing veteran 

status. The researchers then applied the CoCs’ percentage of sheltered adults who are veterans to the 

number of adults whose veteran status is assumed missing. This adjustment added 1,899 sheltered 

veterans bringing the total count to 43,437. 

Step 3: Impute for CoCs that did not do a count of unsheltered veterans 

The researchers needed to impute an unsheltered veterans count for the 140 CoCs that did not do an 

unsheltered veterans count in either 2009 or 2010. The researchers used the same imputation method 

used in the 2009 Veterans AHAR. The imputation method takes the estimated percentage of sheltered 

individuals and adults in families in the CoC who were veterans and applies that percentage to the total 

number of unsheltered single adults and adults in families. Because CoCs did not report separately on the 

veteran status of single adults and adults in families assumptions were based on other data. According to 

the 2009 AHAR, 13 percent of all single adults who used emergency shelter or transitional housing were 

veterans compared to 2 percent of persons in families. Thus, single adults were 6.5 times more likely to 

be veterans than adults in families. 

Thus, PA = 6.5*PF*WI + PF*WF 

Where: 

PI = Percent of sheltered individual adults that are veterans 

PF = Percent of sheltered adults in families that are veterans 

PA = Percent of all sheltered adults that are veterans 

WI = The percent of sheltered adults that are individuals 

WF = The percent of sheltered adults that are persons in families 

Because PA is known (see Step 2) the following equation can be used to solve for PF: 

PF = PA/(6.5*WI+WF) 

Once PF is solved PI can be solved because 

PI = PF*6.5 

Once PF is known and PI can be impute the unsheltered veterans count: 

UV = UI*PI+UF*PF where 

UV = The number of unsheltered veterans 

UI = The number of unsheltered individual adults 

UF = The number of unsheltered adults in families 

For example if CoC X has 100 total sheltered adults, half of whom are individuals and half are in 

families, and 20 total sheltered veterans, then PA = 20/100=.2, PF = .2/(6.5*.5+.5) = .053 and PI = 

.053*6.5 = .347. If CoC X has 80 unsheltered individual adults and 20 unsheltered adults in families then 

it’s imputed unsheltered veterans count = (.053*20)+(.347*80)=29. 

38 Appendix A: Methodology 
The imputation for CoCs with missing or zero unsheltered veterans added 8,164 unsheltered veterans, 

bringing the total unsheltered veteran count to 32,892. 

1-Year Estimate of Sheltered Homeless Veterans 

The 1-year estimate of veterans who stayed in emergency shelters or transitional housing for homeless 

persons or permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless persons is based on HMIS data provided 

by 367 participating communities in 320 CoCs.9 The HMIS data covered people using a homeless facility 

anytime from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010. 

In 2010, the 367 participating communities submitted data with 55,731 unduplicated person records of 

veterans that used an emergency shelter or transitional housing during the 1-year period.10 The data from 

these CoCs were weighted to produce estimates of sheltered homeless veterans in the nation. The 

procedures for weighting the data follow the same methodology described in Appendix B of the 2010 

AHAR.

11 However, the methodology used to estimate the number of homeless veterans in this report 

differs from the methodology used in the all persons report because of three adjustments. 

The three adjustments are as follows. 

Adjustment 1: Adjust for sheltered adults whose veteran’s status is unknown 

The 2010 AHAR found that 4.4 percent of HMIS records for sheltered adults (6.7 percent of HMIS 

records for adults in permanent supportive housing) were missing information for the veteran status 

variable. For this report, it was assumed that the percent of veterans among adults with missing veteran 

status was the same as among the adults with known veteran status. Nationally, 10.8 percent of sheltered 

homeless adults with known veteran status were identified as veterans. For this report, it was assumed 

10.8 percent of adults with missing veteran status were veterans. This adjustment increased the estimated 

number of homeless veterans. 

Adjustment 2: VA homeless programs added to bed inventories (emergency shelter and transitional 

housing only) 

The researchers compared the emergency shelter and transitional housing bed inventory that CoCs 

reported to HUD to the VA’s inventory of homeless residential beds. The researchers found 5,976 

emergency shelter and transitional housing beds for homeless veterans funded by the VA that were not 

included in HUD’s HIC. 

To estimate the number of homeless veterans during the reporting year in VA beds that were not included 

on the Housing Inventory, each of the 5,976 beds was assigned to a CoC and a geocode using VA 

administrative records and address information.12 The beds were then added to the weighting universe 

(the HIC) and, assigned to one of the 16 weighting stratum (this was done separately for beds in sample 

9 Permanent supportive housing was estimated separately from emergency shelter and transitional housing, since 

persons in permanent supportive housing are formerly homeless. 10 These records did not contain any personally identifying information. 11 Even though researchers followed the same procedures, the weights for the AHAR and AHAR Veterans report 

are not exactly the same because fewer communities provided information for the AHAR Veterans Report. For 

the AHAR, 411 communities provided usable HMIS data, but only 367 (of the 411) also provided useable 

HMIS data focused solely on veterans for the AHAR Veterans report. 12 This step was not conducted in the 2009 Veterans AHAR because geocode-level information on VA beds that 

were not in the HIC was unavailable. 

Appendix A: Methodology 39 
communities chosen with certainty). Without this adjustment, the 1-year veteran count would have been 

14,267 veterans lower, giving a total count of 130,575 veterans.13 

Adjustment 3: Adjust for differences in veteran-only emergency shelter, transitional housing, and 

permanent supportive housing facilities’ participation in HMIS within communities 

To account for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing facilities that 

did not provide data to HMIS in participating communities, the number of persons who used these beds 

was imputed. In the AHAR, it was assumed that the non-HMIS participating beds served the same 

number of homeless persons per-bed, per-year as the HMIS participating beds. This adjustment was done 

separately for the six program-household types (i.e., emergency shelters for individuals, emergency 

shelters for families, transitional housing for individuals, transitional housing for families, permanent 

supportive housing for individuals, and permanent supportive housing for families) and an adjustment 

was made to account for the small number of people who used both a participating and non-participating 

provider to ensure people were not double counted. (This methodology is described in Appendix B of the 

2010 AHAR.) For the estimate of veterans, the method was refined by making this adjustment separately 

for veteran-only and general beds in each of the four household-program type categories. 

For non-participating beds that served veterans only, researchers used the persons per-bed, per-year 

estimate for the program-household type of all participating providers to estimate the number of veterans 

served in the year. For the non-participating providers that served the general population, researchers 

used a veteran per-bed, per-year measure to impute the number of veterans using these beds. To obtain 

the estimate of veteran per-bed, per-year for general beds, researchers first subtracted the number of 

veterans estimated to be served by participating veterans-only programs to arrive at a veteran per-bed, 

per-year measure for participating providers serving the general population. This veteran per-bed, peryear estimate for participating general providers was used to impute the number of veterans served by 

non-participating general providers. 

If the percentage of veterans-only provider beds participating in HMIS was the same as the overall 

percentage of participating beds in each community, this adjustment would not affect the estimates. 

However, the average of community’s veterans-only participation rate is a little lower (80 percent) than 

the overall average participation rate (87 percent), so this adjustment increases the estimated number of 

veterans served by emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing facilities. 

After this adjustment, the revised estimate of the number of sheltered veterans in the year is 144,842. 

13	 To make commensurate year-to-year comparisons, the 2009 AHAR veteran 1-year homeless estimate would be 

revised to include the 5,976 non-veteran HMIS beds. The adjustment, carried out in the same manner as the 

2010 AHAR veteran 1-year estimate, would increase the count from 136,334 to 149,635 veterans. 

40 Appendix A: Methodology 
-

-

- - -

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 

Appendix B 1: Estimates of Veterans in Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing 

programs, and Permanent Supportive Housing programs during a 1 

Year Period, October 2009 to September 2010 

Household Type Number of Sheltered 

Veterans 

All Sheltered Homeless Persons... 144,842 

...in emergency shelters only 108,392 

...in transitional housing only 28,858 

...in both emergency shelters and transitional housing 7,592 

Individuals... 141,975 

...in emergency shelters only 106,366 

...in transitional housing only 28,470 

...in both emergency shelters and transitional housing 7,139 

Persons in Families... 4,425 

...in emergency shelters only 3,254 

...in transitional housing only 962 

...in both emergency shelters and transitional housing 210 

Households with Children 4,355 

All Veterans Housed in Permanent Supportive Housing 

... Individuals in Permanent Supportive Housing 

...Families in Permanent Supportive Housing 

22,338 

21,551 

804 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B 2: Seasonal Point in Time Count of Sheltered Homeless Veterans by 

Household Type, October 2009 to September 2010 

Total Persons Individuals Persons in Families 

On a single night in 

Oct-09 30,717 29,452 1,266 

Jan-10 32,835 31,726 1,109 

Apr-10 29,549 28,352 1,197 

Jul-10 30,178 28,763 1,415 

On an average night 29,978 28,709 1,269 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 41 
Appendix B 3: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans by Household Type, October -

2008 to September 2009 

Characteristics All Sheltered Veterans Individuals Persons in Families 

Number of Homeless Veterans 144,842 141,975 4,425 

Gender of Adults 144,842 141,975 4,425 

Female 11,577 9,330 2,360 

Male 133,045 132,440 2,048 

Unknown 220 205 18 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 133,105 130,630 3,949 

Hispanic/Latino 10,842 10,468 451 

Unknown 896 877 26 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 74,350 73,614 1,722 

White, Hispanic/Latino 7,231 7,076 191 

Black or African American 50,145 48,876 1,693 

Asian 679 653 30 

American Indian or Alaska Native 3,505 3,462 80 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 547 320 230 

Several races 6,260 6,002 307 

Unknown 2,125 1,972 172 

Age 

18 - 30 12,734 10,850 2,035 

31 - 50 59,647 58,276 2,012 

51 - 61 59,778 60,122 310 

62 and older 12,507 12,569 48 

Unknown 176 158 20 

Persons by Number of Veterans in Household 

1 veteran 143,800 141,072 4,282 

2 veterans 295 185 113 

3 veterans 8 0 8 

4 veterans 5 0 5 

5 or more veterans 1 0 1 

Unknown 734 717 17 

Disabled (adults only) 144,842 141,975 4,426 

Yes 69,101 68,699 1,147 

No 67,860 65,410 3,165 

Unknown 7,881 7,866 113 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

42 Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 
Appendix B 4: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans in Emergency -

Shelters, October 2009 to September 2010 

Characteristics Veterans in 

Emergency Shelters 

Individuals Veterans in 

Families 

Number of Homeless Veterans 115,984 113,504 3,464 

Gender of Adults 115,984 113,504 3,464 

Female 8,775 6,976 1,868 

Male 107,092 106,427 1,578 

Unknown 117 101 18 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 106,873 104,675 3,118 

Hispanic/Latino 8,401 8,134 322 

Unknown 710 695 24 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 60,679 59,875 1,359 

White, Hispanic/Latino 5,631 5,557 97 

Black or African American 38,699 37,749 1,250 

Asian 472 450 25 

American Indian or Alaska Native 3,262 3,225 62 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific 

Islander 

385 168 220 

Several races 4,968 4,722 295 

Unknown 1,888 1,759 156 

Age 

18 - 30 10,778 9,114 1,762 

31 - 50 46,781 45,741 1,445 

51 - 61 47,415 47,602 210 

62 and older 10,847 10,902 27 

Unknown 164 145 20 

Persons by Household Size 

1 person 115,745 113,364 3,361 

2 people 211 131 82 

3 people 4 0 4 

4 people 0 0 0 

5 or more people 0 0 0 

Unknown 25 9 17 

Disabled (adults only) 115,983 113,504 3,464 

Yes 52,293 51,808 914 

No 57,309 55,318 2,504 

Unknown 6,381 6,378 46 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 43 
Appendix B 5: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans in Transitional -

Housing, October 2009 to September 2010 

Characteristics Veterans in 

Transitional 

Housing 

Individuals Veterans in 

Families 

Number of Homeless Veterans 36,450 35,609 1,171 

Gender of Adults 36,450 35,609 1,171 

Female 3,327 2,773 582 

Male 33,002 32,714 589 

Unknown 121 122 0 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 33,241 32,524 1,026 

Hispanic/Latino 2,992 2,866 143 

Unknown 217 219 3 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 17,662 17,366 436 

White, Hispanic/Latino 1,940 1,847 104 

Black or African American 14,107 13,740 524 

Asian 247 243 6 

American Indian or Alaska Native 366 348 20 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific 

Islander 

199 184 15 

Several races 1,623 1,590 49 

Unknown 307 292 18 

Age 

18 - 30 2,546 2,241 331 

31 - 50 16,061 15,505 702 

51 - 61 15,526 15,553 115 

62 and older 2,297 2,290 24 

Unknown 19 19 0 

Persons by Household Size 

1 person 35,607 34,811 1,125 

2 people 97 62 35 

3 people 5 0 5 

4 people 5 0 5 

5 or more people 1 0 1 

Unknown 735 736 0 

Disabled (adults only) 36,450 35,609 1,171 

Yes 20,798 20,662 316 

No 13,755 13,106 781 

Unknown 1,897 1,841 74 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

44 Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 
Appendix B 6: Demographic Characteristics of Sheltered Homeless Veterans by Location, -

October 2009 to September 2010 

Characteristics Principal Cities Suburban and Rural 

Areas 

Number of Homeless Veterans 99,070 45,772 

Gender of Adults 99,070 45,771 

Female 7,109 4,468 

Male 91,856 41,189 

Unknown 106 114 

Ethnicity 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 89,012 44,093 

Hispanic/Latino 9,286 1,555 

Unknown 772 123 

Race 

White, non–Hispanic/non–Latino 45,242 29,109 

White, Hispanic/Latino 6,384 847 

Black or African American 37,875 12,270 

Asian 586 93 

American Indian or Alaska Native 2,593 912 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 471 76 

Several races 4,343 1,917 

Unknown 1,576 549 

Age 

18 - 30 8,167 4,567 

31 - 50 41,292 18,355 

51 - 61 40,115 19,662 

62 and older 9,351 3,156 

Unknown 144 32 

Persons by Household Size 

1 person 98,118 45,682 

2 people 212 82 

3 people 4 4 

4 people 2 3 

5 or more people 0 1 

Unknown 734 0 

Disabled (adults only) 99,071 45,772 

Yes 45,236 23,866 

No 47,788 20,072 

Unknown 6,047 1,834 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 45 
Appendix B 7: Earlier Living Situation of Veterans Using Homeless Residential Services - 14 by 

Household Type, October 2009 to September 2010 

Earlier Living Situation Individuals and 

Adults in 

Families 

Individuals Adults in Families 

Number of Homeless Adults 144,843 141,975 4,426 

Living Arrangement the Night before Program Entry 

Place not meant for human habitation 27,100 27,190 224 

Emergency shelter 32,737 32,379 678 

Transitional housing 4,908 4,864 79 

Permanent supportive housing 362 363 2 

Psychiatric facility 2,185 2,210 2 

Substance abuse treatment center or detox 7,302 7,311 62 

Hospital (nonpsychiatric) 4,654 4,693 15 

Jail, prison, or juvenile detention 5,952 6,008 10 

Rented housing unit 10,063 9,512 647 

Owned housing unit 2,200 2,169 52 

Staying with family 14,438 13,210 1,398 

Staying with friends 12,235 11,715 665 

Hotel or motel (no voucher) 3,908 3,577 372 

Foster care home 145 143 4 

Other living arrangement 7,695 7,655 107 

Unknown 8,959 8,975 106 

Stability of Previous Night’s Living Arrangement 

Stayed 1 week or less 32,054 31,197 1,207 

Stayed more than 1 week, but less than a month 24,713 24,512 498 

Stayed 1 to 3 months 21,940 21,144 1,021 

Stayed more than 3 months, but less than a year 20,230 19,702 725 

Stayed 1 year or longer 21,324 20,809 740 

Unknown 24,581 24,610 235 

ZIP Code of Last Permanent Address 

Same jurisdiction as program location 69,638 67,431 2,823 

Different jurisdiction than program location 59,517 58,873 1,401 

Unknown 15,687 15,671 201 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

14 “Homeless Residential Services” refers to emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. 

46 Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 
Appendix B 8: Previous Living Situation of Veterans Using Homeless Residential Services in -

Emergency Shelters, October 2009 to September 2010 

Earlier Living Situation Individuals and 

Adults in Families 

in Emergency 

Shelters 

Individuals Adults in 

Families 

Number of Homeless Adults 115,985 113,504 3,464 

Living Arrangement the Night before Program Entry 

Place not meant for human habitation 23,228 23,192 184 

Emergency shelter 23,021 22,967 299 

Transitional housing 2,308 2,299 27 

Permanent supportive housing 309 311 1 

Psychiatric facility 1,623 1,631 2 

Substance abuse treatment center or detox 3,594 3,625 13 

Hospital (nonpsychiatric) 3,932 3,947 15 

Jail, prison, or juvenile detention 4,758 4,804 2 

Rented housing unit 9,317 8,840 550 

Owned housing unit 1,832 1,819 33 

Staying with family 12,803 11,675 1,228 

Staying with friends 10,889 10,401 577 

Hotel or motel (no voucher) 3,630 3,282 369 

Foster care home 130 129 2 

Other living arrangement 6,612 6,571 90 

Unknown 7,999 8,010 73 

Stability of Previous Night’s Living Arrangement 

Stayed 1 week or less 28,688 27,681 1,164 

Stayed more than 1 week, but less than a month 20,191 19,935 378 

Stayed 1 to 3 months 14,661 14,023 742 

Stayed more than 3 months, but less than a year 13,048 12,672 469 

Stayed 1 year or longer 17,068 16,693 516 

Unknown 22,328 22,501 195 

ZIP Code of Last Permanent Address 

Same jurisdiction as program location 52,845 51,205 2,130 

Different jurisdiction than program location 50,895 50,123 1,179 

Unknown 12,245 12,176 155 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 47 
Appendix B 9: Earlier Living Situation of Veterans Using Homeless Residential Services in -

Transitional Housing, October 2009-September 2010 

Earlier Living Situation Individuals and 

Adults in Families in 

Transitional Housing 

Individuals Adults in 

Families 

Number of Homeless Adults 36,449 35,609 1,171 

Living Arrangement the Night before Program Entry 

Place not meant for human habitation 5,526 5,515 60 

Emergency shelter 11,372 11,027 426 

Transitional housing 2,910 2,880 58 

Permanent supportive housing 75 75 1 

Psychiatric facility 720 727 0 

Substance abuse treatment center or detox 4,154 4,130 52 

Hospital (nonpsychiatric) 993 1,001 2 

Jail, prison, or juvenile detention 1,475 1,477 8 

Rented housing unit 1,234 1,122 122 

Owned housing unit 455 439 21 

Staying with family 2,289 2,119 205 

Staying with friends 1,959 1,876 111 

Hotel or motel (no voucher) 501 463 44 

Foster care home 24 23 2 

Other living arrangement 1,452 1,446 22 

Unknown 1,310 1,289 38 

Stability of Previous Night’s Living Arrangement 

Stayed 1 week or less 4,973 4,937 105 

Stayed more than 1 week, but less than a month 5,917 5,827 152 

Stayed 1 to 3 months 8,577 8,315 326 

Stayed more than 3 months, but less than a year 8,352 8,126 288 

Stayed 1 year or longer 5,430 5,229 247 

Unknown 3,201 3,174 55 

ZIP Code of Last Permanent Address 

Same jurisdiction as program location 20,518 19,866 830 

Different jurisdiction than program location 11,468 11,296 285 

Unknown 4,463 4,447 56 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

48 Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 
Appendix B 10: Earlier Living Situation of Veterans Using Homeless Residential Services by -

Location, October 2009-September 2010 

Earlier Living Situation 

Living Arrangement the Night before Program Entry 

Suburban and Rural Areas 

45,775 

9,158 

8,382 

1,354 

76 

1,024 

2,681 

2,367 

1,919 

2,684 

574 

5,379 

4,161 

1,637 

57 

1,707 

2,615 

Stability of Previous Night’s Living Arrangement 

10,029 

10,403 

6,881 

6,818 

7,625 

4,017 

ZIP Code of Last Permanent Address 

16,794 

25,617 

3,360 

Number of Homeless Adults 

Place not meant for human habitation 

Emergency shelter 

Transitional housing 

Permanent supportive housing 

Psychiatric facility 

Substance abuse treatment center or detox 

Hospital (nonpsychiatric) 

Jail, prison, or juvenile detention 

Rented housing unit 

Owned housing unit 

Staying with family 

Staying with friends 

Hotel or motel (no voucher) 

Foster care home 

Other living arrangement 

Unknown 

Stayed 1 week or less 

Stayed more than 1 week, but less than a month 

Stayed 1 to 3 months 

Stayed more than 3 months, but less than a year 

Stayed 1 year or longer 

Unknown 

Same jurisdiction as program location 

Different jurisdiction than program location 

Unknown 

Principal Cities 

99,069 

17,943 

24,355 

3,554 

286 

1,161 

4,621 

2,287 

4,032 

7,379 

1,626 

9,059 

8,075 

2,271 

88 

5,988 

6,344 

22,025 

14,311 

15,059 

13,412 

13,699 

20,564 

52,844 

33,900 

12,327 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 49 
Appendix B 11: Length of Stay in Emergency Shelters by Household Type, October 2009 September 2010 - -

Length of Stay Veterans in 

Emergency 

Shelters 

Individuals Veterans in 

Families All Male Female 

Number of Homeless Veterans 115,984 113,504 106,427 6,977 3,464 

Length of Stay 115,985 113,507 106,427 6,970 3,465 

1 week or less 37,763 37,305 35,412 1,885 803 

1 week to 1 month 32,979 32,302 30,051 2,225 924 

1 to 2 months 17,928 17,477 15,557 1,914 595 

2 to 3 months 9,090 8,698 8,355 342 466 

3 to 4 months 5,710 5,604 5,390 211 161 

4 to 5 months 3,366 3,323 3,246 77 73 

5 to 6 months 2,279 2,032 1,923 109 271 

6 to 7 months 1,410 1,395 1,342 52 33 

7 to 8 months 1,290 1,274 1,248 26 30 

8 to 9 months 819 812 771 41 17 

9 to 10 months 1,022 1,021 1,001 20 10 

10 to 11 months 408 396 383 12 16 

11 months to 1 year 546 543 536 7 7 

1 year 1,153 1,133 1,084 49 28 

Unknown 222 192 128 7 31 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

50 Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 
Appendix B 12: Length of Stay in Transitional Housing by Household Type, October 2009 September 2010 - -

Length of Stay Veterans in 

Transitional 

Housing 

Individuals Veterans in 

Families 

All Male Female 

Number of Homeless Veterans 36,450 35,609 32,715 2,773 1,171 

Length of Stay 36,449 35,607 32,715 2,770 1,171 

1 week or less 2,598 2,546 2,369 174 66 

1 week to 1 month 4,760 4,663 4,324 336 127 

1 to 2 months 5,053 4,963 4,368 483 128 

2 to 3 months 3,743 3,674 3,358 316 99 

3 to 4 months 3,232 3,167 2,825 342 90 

4 to 5 months 2,864 2,837 2,644 193 59 

5 to 6 months 2,400 2,362 2,222 138 65 

6 to 7 months 2,041 2,016 1,963 54 50 

7 to 8 months 1,344 1,263 1,204 58 98 

8 to 9 months 1,436 1,429 1,371 59 29 

9 to 10 months 901 874 838 37 40 

10 to 11 months 923 893 850 43 39 

11 months to 1 year 1,151 1,132 1,025 107 31 

1 year 3,969 3,755 3,324 430 248 

Unknown 34 33 30 3 2 

Note: Counts may not add up to total because of rounding. 

Source: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010. 

Appendix B: HMIS-Based Estimates of Veteran Homelessness, 2010 51 

-

-

Appendix C: Data Tables for Calculating Risk Ratios, 2010 

Appendix C 1: Rate of Homelessness in Veteran Individual Adult Population and Population in Poverty 

Compared to Rate of Homelessness in Non Veteran in Individual Adult Population and 

Population in Poverty 

Characteristics Rate of 

Homelessness among 

Veterans 

Rate of 

Homelessness among 

Veterans 

Living in 

Poverty 

Rate of 

Homelessness 

among Nonveterans 

Rate of 

Homelessnes 

s among 

Non-veterans 

Living in 

Poverty 

Risk of 

Homelessn 

ess among 

Veterans 

Compared 

to Nonveterans 

Risk of Homelessness among 

Veterans Living in 

Poverty Compared 

to Non-veterans 

Living in Poverty 

HV/V 

(%)a 

HV/VPov 

(%)a 

NVH/NV 

(%)a 

NVH/ 

NVPov 

(%)a 

HV/V: 

NVH/NV 

HV/VPov: 

NVH/NVPov 

All Homeless Adults 0.8% 13.2% 0.7% 6.2% 1.1 2.1 

Gender of Adults 

Female 1.0% 11.5% 0.4% 3.4% 2.5 3.4 

Male 0.8% 13.4% 1.1% 10.1% 0.7 1.3 

Ethnicityb 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 0.8% 13.0% 0.7% 6.2% 1.1 2.1 

Hispanic/Latino 1.4% 17.9% 1.0% 6.5% 1.5 2.8 

Raceb 

White, non–Hispanic/non– 

Latino 0.5% 9.5% 0.4% 4.7% 1.1 2.0 

White, Hispanic/Latino 1.4% 18.7% 1.0% 6.8% 1.4 2.7 

Black or African American 3.0% 26.4% 2.1% 11.8% 1.4 2.2 

Asian 0.3% 5.7% 0.1% 1.0% 3.0 5.9 

American Indian or Alaska 

Native 3.1% 26.0% 2.5% 12.9% 1.2 2.0 

Native Hawaiian or other 

Pacific Islander 2.0% 24.1% 2.5% 21.6% 0.8 1.1 

Other 1.5% 16.5% 1.0% 6.3% 1.6 2.6 

Age 

18 - 30 1.6% 17.7% 0.7% 4.7% 2.2 3.7 

31 - 50 2.4% 29.2% 1.4% 13.4% 1.7 2.2 

51 - 61 1.3% 19.0% 0.6% 6.8% 2.2 2.8 

62 and older 0.1% 2.5% 0.1% 0.9% 1.3 2.8 a ACS data providing estimates of the number of veterans in the general population and population in poverty were adjusted to omit the small number of 17­

year-olds who qualify as veterans. Estimates of the number of sheltered individuals used in this table only include those 18 years and older. b HMIS data provide estimates of the ethnicity and race for adult veterans only, but estimates of the ethnic and racial composition for non-veteran shelter users 

do not differentiate between adults and children. In this table, the ethnic and racial composition of non-veteran adult shelter users was assumed to be 

proportionally equivalent to that of non-veteran shelter users overall, which includes adults and children. 

V=Veteran, NV=Non-veteran, H=Homeless, HV=Homeless Veteran, NVH=Homeless Non-Veteran, VPov=Veterans in Poverty, NVPov=Non-Veterans in 

Poverty 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates. 

Appendix C: Data Tables for Calculating Risk Ratios, 2010 53 
-

-

Appendix C 2: Rate of Homelessness in Veteran Adult in Family Population and Population in Poverty Compared 

to Rate of Homelessness in Non Veteran Adult in Family Population and Population in Poverty 

Characteristics Rate of 

Homelessness among 

Veterans 

Rate of 

Homelessness among 

Veterans 

Living in 

Poverty 

Rate of 

Homelessness 

among Nonveterans 

Rate of 

Homelessness 

among Nonveterans 

Living in 

Poverty 

Risk of 

Homelessne 

ss among 

Veterans 

Compared 

to Nonveterans 

Risk of Homelessness among Veterans 

Living in Poverty 

Compared to Nonveterans Living in 

Poverty 

HV/V 

(%)a 

HV/VPov 

(%)a 

NVH/NV 

(%)a 

NVH/ 

NVPov (%)a 

HV/V: 

NVH/NV 

HV/VPov: 

NVH/NVPov 

All Homeless Adults 0.1% 1.6% 0.3% 2.1% 0.3 0.7 

Gender of Adults 

Female 0.4% 4.2% 0.4% 2.5% 1.0 1.7 

Male 0.1% 0.9% 0.1% 1.3% 0.4 0.7 

Ethnicityb 

Non–Hispanic/non–Latino 0.1% 1.6% 0.3% 2.4% 0.3 0.7 

Hispanic/Latino 0.1% 1.5% 0.3% 1.4% 0.4 1.1 

Raceb 

White, non–Hispanic/non– 

Latino 0.1% 1.1% 0.2% 1.7% 0.4 0.6 

White, Hispanic/Latino 0.1% 1.1% 0.3% 1.4% 0.3 0.8 

Black or African American 0.3% 2.6% 0.9% 3.8% 0.3 0.7 

Asian 0.0% 0.9% 0.0% 0.4% 1.2 2.5 

American Indian or Alaska 

Native 0.2% 1.4% 1.4% 5.4% 0.1 0.3 

Native Hawaiian or other 

Pacific Islander 2.0% 37.8% 1.7% 9.6% 1.2 3.9 

Other 0.2% 1.8% 0.3% 1.2% 0.6 1.5 

Age 

18 - 30 0.4% 4.0% 0.6% 2.8% 0.7 1.4 

31 - 50 0.1% 1.4% 0.2% 1.7% 0.4 0.8 

51 - 61 0.0% 0.6% 0.1% 0.9% 0.4 0.6 

62 and older 0.0% 0.2% 0.0% 0.2% 0.4 0.9 a ACS data providing estimates of the number of veterans in the general population and population in poverty were adjusted to omit the small number of 17-year-olds 

who qualify as veterans. Estimates of the number of sheltered individuals used in this table only include those 18 years and older. b HMIS data provide estimates of the ethnicity and race for adult veterans only, but estimates of the ethnic and racial composition for non-veteran shelter users do not 

differentiate between adults and children. In this table, the ethnic and racial composition of non-veteran adult shelter users was assumed to be proportionally 

equivalent to that of non-veteran shelter users overall, which includes adults and children. 

V=Veteran, NV=Non-veteran, H=Homeless, HV=Homeless Veteran, NVH=Homeless Non-Veteran, VPov=Veterans in Poverty, NVPov=Non-Veterans in Poverty 

Sources: Homeless Management Information Systems data, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau 2007-2009 American Community Survey 3­

Year Estimates. 

54 Appendix C: Data Tables for Calculating Risk Ratios, 2010 
Appendix D: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness and Total Populations, 

by State, 2010 

State 

PIT Estimate of 

Veteran 

Homelessness 

PIT Estimate of 

All Homeless 

People 

Estimated 

Veteran 

Population 

State Population 

Alabama 1,089 6,046 402,754 3,547,195 

Alaska 300 1,863 72,164 507,426 

Arizona 2,230 13,711 541,390 4,772,082 

Arkansas 362 2,762 246,599 2,159,837 

California 19,163 132,931 2,028,245 27,153,703 

Colorado 1,316 15,482 407,099 3,718,050 

Connecticut 483 4,316 232,911 2,687,818 

Delaware 74 982 77,379 668,978 

District of Columbia 579 6,539 32,433 478,537 

Florida 7,794 57,551 1,640,262 14,339,903 

Georgia 2,766 19,836 707,798 7,128,729 

Hawaii 419 5,834 111,664 996,600 

Idaho 239 2,346 129,032 1,109,311 

Illinois 1,133 14,395 787,455 9,658,644 

Indiana 767 6,452 480,650 4,795,872 

Iowa 221 3,014 245,908 2,284,390 

Kansas 711 2,024 225,628 2,098,023 

Kentucky 619 6,623 328,514 3,270,698 

Louisiana 2,015 12,482 313,609 3,323,527 

Maine 108 2,379 136,474 1,042,533 

Maryland 910 10,845 450,512 4,306,031 

Massachusetts 1,597 16,608 429,563 5,105,235 

Michigan 964 13,058 727,497 7,611,601 

Minnesota 644 7,869 394,565 3,967,967 

Mississippi 339 2,743 209,450 2,171,266 

Missouri 759 8,122 506,338 4,516,727 

Montana 262 1,615 97,215 745,303 

Nebraska 305 3,877 146,681 1,336,001 

Nevada 2,526 14,594 225,822 1,933,073 

New Hampshire 173 1,574 118,672 1,026,867 

New Jersey 567 13,737 485,187 6,612,685 

New Mexico 441 3,475 171,272 1,481,373 

New York 5,857 65,606 1,024,383 15,016,621 

North Carolina 1,084 12,191 735,203 6,981,472 

North Dakota 119 799 52,223 499,536 

Ohio 1,527 12,569 931,156 8,789,664 

Oklahoma 474 5,229 318,758 2,737,756 

Appendix D: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness and Total Populations, by State, 2010 55 
State 

PIT Estimate of 

Veteran 

Homelessness 

PIT Estimate of 

All Homeless 

People 

Estimated 

Veteran 

Population 

State Population 

Oregon 1,285 19,492 341,280 2,910,431 

Pennsylvania 1,441 14,516 1,023,613 9,765,140 

Rhode Island 91 1,282 79,214 823,727 

South Carolina 687 4,473 390,817 3,421,732 

South Dakota 135 731 70,611 607,764 

Tennessee 1,679 10,276 503,611 4,749,191 

Texas 5,133 35,121 1,597,984 17,535,525 

Utah 342 3,284 151,193 1,876,134 

Vermont 117 1,220 53,345 492,721 

Virginia 995 9,080 737,982 5,958,056 

Washington 2,043 22,878 604,183 5,005,082 

West Virginia 576 2,264 165,939 1,428,149 

Wisconsin 609 6,333 439,672 4,313,808 

Wyoming 85 579 51,258 405,641 

There were an additional 175 homeless veterans estimated for Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, for a total of 

76,329. The PIT estimates were adjusted statistically to account for four types of missing data. First, there were 5,988 beds for 

homeless veterans that were missing from HUD’s national inventory of homeless residential service providers and thus 

presumably excluded from the PIT count of sheltered veterans. Second, approximately two-thirds of CoCs used an HMIS to 

generate their estimates of sheltered homeless veterans, and about 4.4 percent of HMIS records were missing information on 

veteran status. Third, three CoCs in 2010 did not report data on the number of sheltered veterans. Finally, 10 percent of CoCs 

had missing information for the number of unsheltered veterans and 21 percent reported zero unsheltered veterans. See 

Appendix A for more information on how researchers adjusted the PIT estimate to account for these missing data. 

56 Appendix D: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness and Total Populations, by State, 2010