HOMELESS WOMEN 

VETERANS

Actions Needed to 

Ensure Safe and 

Appropriate Housing

Report to Congressional Requesters

December 2011

GAO-12-182

United States Government Accountability Office

GAO
Page i GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Letter 1 

Recommendations for Executive Action 6

Appendix I Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 9

Objectives 9

Analysis of VA Data 9

Surveys 13

Discussion Groups 15

Appendix II Briefing Slides 17

Appendix III Selected Federal Programs Serving Homeless Veterans 59

Appendix IV State-Level Data and Additional Information on Facilities 

for the Grant and Per Diem Program 60

Appendix V Characteristics of Veterans Identified by VA as Homeless 63

Appendix VI Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs 65

Appendix VII GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 70

Tables

Table 1: Types of Programs and Settings Visited during Our Site 

Visits 14

Table 2: Summary Information about the Women in Our Discussion 

Groups Who Completed the Demographic Forms 16

Table 3: State by State Data on Number of GPD Programs and Beds 

for Women Veterans 60

Contents
Page ii GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Figure

Figure 1: Types of living arrangements in GPD programs 62

Abbreviations

CHALENG Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education 

and Networking Group for Veterans project

GPD VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program

HMIS Homeless Management Information Systems 

HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development 

HUD-VASH HUD-VA Supportive Housing 

MST military sexual trauma 

OIG Office of Inspector General 

VA Department of Veterans Affairs 

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety 

without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain 

copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be 

necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.
Page 1 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

United States Government Accountability Office 

Washington, DC 20548

December 23, 2011 

The Honorable Patty Murray

Chairman 

Committee on Veterans Affairs

United States Senate

The Honorable Daniel Akaka

United States Senate 

As more women serve in the military, the number of women veterans has 

grown substantially, doubling from 4 percent of all veterans in 1990 to 8 

percent, or an estimated 1.8 million, today. The number of women 

veterans will continue to increase as servicemembers return from the 

conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these women veterans, like 

their male counterparts, face challenges readjusting to civilian life and are 

at risk of becoming homeless. Such challenges may be particularly 

pronounced for those women veterans who have disabling psychological 

conditions resulting from military sexual trauma1 and for those who are 

single mothers.2

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed to ending 

homelessness among all veterans by 2015 and funds several programs 

to house homeless veterans. The two largest are the VA Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD)

 

3

 

1

Military sexual trauma (MST) has been linked to homelessness among women veterans 

(“Risk Factors for Homelessness Among Women Veterans,” Washington, Yano, McGuire, 

et al. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2010; 21(1): 82-91). VA uses 

the term MST to refer to psychological trauma resulting from a physical assault or battery 

of a sexual nature or sexual harassment which occurred while the veteran was serving on 

active duty or active duty for training. See 38 U.S.C. § 1720D. Women are more likely 

than men to experience MST. See GAO, VA Health Care: VA Has Taken Steps to Make 

Services Available to Women Veterans, but Needs to Revise Key Policies and Improve 

Oversight Processes, 

program, which provides 

GAO-10-287 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 31, 2010). 

2

Young single mothers, in general, are vulnerable to being homeless. Women veterans 

are also more likely to experience homelessness than similar women who have not served 

in the military. Fargo, Metraux, Byrne, Munley, Montgomery, Jones, Sheldon, and 

Culhane, 2011, "Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness among US Veterans: A Multisite 

Investigation," The Selected Works of Dennis P. Culhane. 

3

38 U.S.C. §§ 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064. In fiscal year 2011, VA obligated $217.7 million for 

the GPD program. 

 
 

Page 2 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

transitional housing and supportive services; and HUD-VA Supportive 

Housing (HUD-VASH), 4

While these programs have expanded in recent years to serve more 

veterans, it remains unclear whether they are meeting the housing needs 

of all homeless women veterans. To respond to your interest in this 

issue, this report addresses (1) What is known about the characteristics 

of homeless women veterans, including those with disabilities? (2) What 

barriers, if any, do homeless women veterans face in accessing and 

using VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem and HUD-VA 

Supportive Housing programs?

which is a joint program of the Department of 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA offering permanent 

supportive housing.

To answer these questions, we analyzed VA data on women veterans 

(including those with disabilities) identified by VA as being homeless at 

some point during fiscal years 2006 through 2010.

5 We also surveyed all 

GPD program providers that VA indicated had a capacity to serve women 

veterans, and all homeless coordinators at VA Medical Centers.6 In 

addition, we conducted site visits to California, the District of Columbia, 

Pennsylvania, and Texas,

7

 

4

See 73 Fed. Reg. 25,026 (May 6, 2008). Permanent supportive housing consists of case 

management provided by the VA coupled with rental assistance provided by HUD for 

housing selected by the veteran. In fiscal year 2011, VA obligated $151.1 million for case 

management under the HUD-VASH program and HUD received a $50 million 

appropriation for rental assistance vouchers under HUD-VASH. 

which included discussions with service 

providers (GPD providers and others), organizations collecting 

homelessness data, and homeless women veterans; and interviewed 

agency officials, academic researchers, and representatives of veterans 

service organizations. Finally, we reviewed program documents and 

relevant federal laws and regulations. For more details on our 

methodology, see appendix I. We assessed VA data for reliability and 

found them to be sufficiently reliable for the purposes of this report. 

5

The VA may identify women as homeless during outreach activities or when women 

contact the VA for services. Not all women veterans who contact the VA for services are 

automatically screened for homelessness.

6

Both surveys achieved a response rate of 80 percent and are generalizable.

7

These sites were selected in part for geographic diversity and the range of services

offered. In addition, California and Texas are among the states with the highest 

concentration of homeless veterans. 
 

Page 3 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

We conducted this performance audit from October 2010 through 

Decembert 2011 in accordance with generally accepted government 

auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 

audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable 

basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We 

believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

On November 21, 2011, we briefed your staff on the results of our work. 

This report formally conveys the information shared at the briefing (see 

app. II for detailed briefing slides). In summary, our review found:

Finding 1: Data on the characteristics of homeless women veterans are 

limited to those who have been in contact with VA. Neither VA nor HUD 

captures data on the overall population of homeless women veterans. 

• Limited VA data show the number of women veterans it has identified 

as homeless more than doubled, from 1,380 in fiscal year 2006 to 

3,328 in fiscal year 2010. Although these data are not generalizable to 

the overall population of homeless women veterans, we identified 

some characteristics of these women. For example, almost two-thirds 

were between 40 and 59 years old and over one-third had disabilities. 

In addition, many of these women resided with their minor children.

• HUD collects data on homeless women and on homeless veterans, 8

 

8

For the past 2 years HUD and VA have been working in coordination to collect data on 

homeless veterans for an annual report to Congress on homelessness.

but does not collect detailed information on homeless women 

veterans. Neither VA nor HUD collect data on the total number of 

homeless women veterans in the general population. Further, they 

lack data on the characteristics and needs of these women on a 

national, state, and local level. Absent more complete data, VA does 

not have the information needed to plan services effectively, allocate 

grants to providers, and track progress toward its overall goal of 

ending veteran homelessness by 2015. According to knowledgeable 
 

Page 4 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

VA and HUD officials we spoke with, collecting data specific to 

homeless women veterans would incur minimal burden and cost.9

Finding 2: Homeless women veterans face barriers to accessing and 

using veteran housing,10

• Homeless women veterans were not always aware of veteran housing

services, which posed a significant barrier to access, according to 

GPD programs we surveyed, service providers, agency officials, and 

experts we interviewed. Some VA Medical Center homeless 

coordinators reported challenges in reaching this population. 

However, VA has recently launched an outreach campaign to 

increase awareness that includes materials specific to homeless 

women veterans.

such as lack of awareness about these 

programs, lack of referrals for temporary housing while awaiting 

placement in GPD and HUD-VASH housing, limited housing for women 

with children, and concerns about personal safety.

• VA requires its staff to give homeless veterans a referral for shelter or 

short-term housing while they await placement in veteran housing;

however, several homeless women veterans told us they did not 

receive such referrals. In addition, about 24 percent of VA Medical 

Center homeless coordinators indicated not having referral plans or 

processes in place for temporarily housing homeless women veterans 

while they await placement in HUD-VASH and GPD programs. 

According to our data analysis, women veterans waited an average of 

4 months before securing HUD-VASH housing.11

 

9

Beginning with the 2011 Point-in-Time counts (counts of homeless individuals), HUD 

required all participating communities to gather the veteran status of sheltered and 

unsheltered homeless individuals. Its guidance acknowledged that determining veteran 

status would likely require interviewing individuals—as this status cannot be determined 

visually. HUD officials agreed that data on gender could be gathered during these 

interviews with minimal additional burden.

 In addition, about 

one fourth of GPD providers reported that women veterans had to 

wait for placement in their programs and the median wait was 30 

days. Without referrals for shelter or temporary housing during these 

10Throughout this report, we use the term “veteran housing” to refer exclusively to the 

housing offered by the GPD and HUD-VASH programs.

11In response to our draft report, VA noted that it had used more recent data to calculate 

that as of September 30, 2011, it took an average of 102 days to transition a veteran into 

HUD-VASH housing.
 

Page 5 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

waits, homeless women veterans may be at risk of physical harm and 

further trauma on the streets or in other unsafe places. 

• More than 60 percent of surveyed GPD programs that serve 

homeless women veterans did not house children, and most 

programs that did house children had restrictions on the ages or 

numbers of children. In our survey, GPD providers cited lack of 

housing for women with children as a significant barrier to accessing 

veteran housing. In addition, several noted there were financial 

disincentives for providers, as VA does not have the statutory 

authority to reimburse them for costs of housing veterans’ children.12

• Homeless women veterans we talked to cited safety concerns about 

GPD housing, and 9 of the 142 GPD programs we surveyed indicated 

that there had been reported incidents of sexual harassment or 

assault on women residents in the past 5 years.

 

Limited housing for women and their children puts these families at 

risk of remaining homeless. 

13

While VA is taking steps—such as launching an outreach campaign—to 

end homelessness among all veterans, it does not have sufficient data 

about the population and needs of women veterans to plan effectively for 

increases in their numbers as servicemembers return from Iraq and 

Afghanistan. Further, without improved services, women—including 

those with children and those who have experienced military sexual 

trauma—remain at risk of homelessness and experiencing further abuse. 

 GPD providers 

also cited safety concerns as a barrier to accessing veteran housing. 

In response to a recent report by the VA Inspector General, VA has 

begun to evaluate safety and security arrangements at GPD programs 

that serve women. However, VA does not have gender-specific 

safety and security standards for its GPD housing, potentially putting 

women veterans at risk of sexual harassment or assault. 

 

12According to a VA official, there is no specific statutory prohibition against making these 

payments solely on behalf of veterans’ children, rather it is the lack of such authority in the 

GPD program statute that precludes VA from making such payments. Although VA lacks 

authority to fund beds for children, under the special needs component of the GPD 

program VA can provide some additional funding on behalf of women veterans with 

dependent children. See 38 U.S.C. § 2061. 

13Seven of the nine programs that reported incidents of sexual assault or harassment 

were mixed gender facilities. Reports included incidents involving both staff and other 

residents.
 

Page 6 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

We are making the following recommendations:14

• In order to help achieve the goal of ending homelessness among 

veterans, the Secretaries of VA and HUD should collaborate to ensure 

appropriate data are collected on homeless women veterans, 

including those with children and those with disabilities, and use these 

data to strategically plan for services.

• In order to ensure homeless women veterans have an appropriate 

place to stay while they await placement in GPD or HUD-VASH 

housing, the Secretary of VA should ensure implementation of VA’s 

referral policies. 

• To better serve the needs of homeless women veterans with children, 

the Secretary of VA should examine ways to improve transitional 

housing services for homeless women veterans with children. 

• To ensure that women veterans are safely housed, the Secretary of 

VA should determine what gender-specific safety and security 

standards are needed for GPD programs, especially for those serving 

both women and men. 

We provided a draft copy of this report to the Department of Veterans 

Affairs and to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for 

review and comment. Both agencies generally agreed with our 

recommendations and noted steps they were taking to address them.15

 

14More details on these recommendations can be found in appendix II, pages 55-58.

Specifically, HUD officials told us they agreed with our recommendation 

that the Secretaries of VA and HUD should collaborate to ensure 

appropriate data are collected on homeless women veterans and use 

these data to strategically plan for services. They also noted that HUD is 

considering requiring gender data be collected in the upcoming 2013 

count of unsheltered veterans. VA officials provided written comments 

stating their general agreement with our recommendations and detailed 

the agency’s ongoing or planned initiatives related to those 

15Both agencies also provided technical comments which we incorporated in our draft as 

appropriate.

Recommendations for 

Executive Action

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation
 

Page 7 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

recommendations. VA comments are discussed in further detail below 

and are reprinted in appendix VI. 

In concurring with our recommendation on data collection, VA said 

several initiatives are already planned or underway to gather information 

on those homeless women veterans who are in contact with the VA, 

including the development of a more streamlined and comprehensive 

data collection system. VA also stated that the agency already gathers 

information on homeless women veterans and their needs. However, we 

disagree that current efforts capture detailed information on homeless 

women veterans or their gender-specific needs. 

In concurring with our recommendation on ensuring the implementation of 

VA’s referral policies, VA acknowledged there may be service gaps while 

women await veteran housing. To address the recommendation, VA said 

it plans to review and modify current national guidance on referrals, and 

to develop training for all staff working with homeless veterans on 

providing appropriate referrals for women.

In its concurrence with our recommendation on improving transitional 

housing services for homeless women veterans with children, VA said it 

will work with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to examine 

how other federal agencies fund such housing and to identify resourcesharing opportunities. VA also said it will explore the development of a 

legislative proposal to enhance its authority to fund transitional housing 

for the children of homeless veterans. 

In its concurrence with our recommendation on ensuring that women 

veterans are safely housed in GPD programs, VA noted that it has taken 

steps to evaluate the gender mix and scope of services and recently 

developed gender-specific safety and security standards. However, VA 

officials were unable to provide us with written documentation of any such

standards for the GPD program. VA also said it plans to make regulatory 

changes to enforce specific safety and security standards for those 

programs that shelter women veterans.
 

Page 8 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the contents of 

this report earlier, we plan no further distribution until 30 days from the 

report date. At that time we will send copies of this report to relevant 

congressional committees, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, and other interested parties. In addition, this report will be 

available at no charge on GAO’s Web site at http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staffs have any questions about this report, please contact 

me at (202) 512-7215 or bertonid@gao.gov. Contact points for our 

Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on 

the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this 

report are listed in appendix VII. 

Daniel Bertoni

Director, Education, Workforce, 

 and Income Security Issues
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 9 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

This appendix discusses in detail our methodology for addressing the 

following research questions: (1) What is known about the characteristics of 

homeless women veterans, including those with disabilities? and (2) What 

barriers, if any, do homeless women veterans face in accessing and using 

VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem and HUD-VA Supportive 

Housing programs?

To address these research questions, we analyzed VA data on women 

veterans (including those with disabilities) identified by VA as being 

homeless for fiscal years 2006 through 2010, and surveyed all GPD 

program providers that VA indicated had a capacity to serve women 

veterans and all homeless coordinators at VA Medical Centers. We also 

conducted site visits to California, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, 

and Texas, which included discussions with service providers, 

organizations collecting homelessness data, and homeless women 

veterans. In addition, we interviewed agency officials, and representatives 

of veterans service organizations, and reviewed relevant federal laws, 

regulations, and program documents.

We conducted our work from October 2010 through December 2011 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 

sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

recommendations based on our audit objectives.

We received various data sets from VA that included information on 

homeless women veterans that had been in contact with the VA. The 

largest data set was the Form X data set, followed by data on HUDVASH. We also received data on VA’s diagnoses of disabilities among

these homeless veterans.

Form X is the intake form that VA used to identify the programmatic 

needs of homeless veterans—and includes information on the veterans’ 

characteristics and demographics. For example, Form X data include 

information on age, gender, race, marital status, and time period of 

military service. In addition, the form captures information on 

homelessness, such as length of time homeless, the location of the 

veteran’s sleeping arrangement the prior night, and number of incidents 

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Objectives

Analysis of VA Data

Data Sets
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 10 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

of homelessness. The form also has information on employment, income, 

veterans’ benefits, and the programmatic needs of the veteran.

HUD-VASH data were collected on several worksheets that corresponded 

to the process of accessing HUD-VASH services. VA provided us with 

data from HUD-VASH Referral Worksheets, Admission Worksheets, and 

Housing Progress Report Worksheets. The HUD-VASH data contains 

demographic information similar to that described for Form X in the prior 

paragraph, but also includes information on the veteran’s parental status 

and relation with minor dependent children (i.e., custody and residence).

VA also provided us with data (VETSNET) on the any diagnoses of 

disabilities for those veterans the VA had identified as being homeless. 

For those veterans with such diagnoses, the data specified the disabling 

conditions and provided the disability rating associated with severity of 

the disabilities.

1

To conduct this analysis we combined the two large data sets—Form X 

and HUD-VASH Referral data. 

Before combining the data, we cleaned each data set as follows:

• Dropped cases where the date the form was completed or the date 

the referral to HUD-VASH was made were missing.

• Dropped cases where gender was missing or where gender changed 

in cases where there were multiple records for the same individual.

• Ensured one record per person per fiscal year in each data set.

• For cases that had more than one record, we:

• Selected the record that had the least amount of missing 

variables

• In cases that had more than one record with the same amount 

of missing variables we kept the most recent record.

 

1

VA uses disability ratings to set monthly disability compensation for eligible veterans. The 

rating is a percentage that increases with the severity of the disability. 38 U.S.C. § 1155. 

Analysis of Characteristics 

of Homeless Women 

Veterans
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 11 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

We then combined the data sets. To clean the combined data, we:

• Dropped cases where gender was not consistent—for example if a 

veteran was coded as a female in one source and a male in another.

• Followed the same steps as above for multiple records.

Form X data did not contain information on the number of children a 

veteran may have or their residential status in relation to the veteran. For 

the analysis related to children, we relied exclusively on HUD-VASH 

Referral data.

Based on the data from Form X and HUD-VASH Referral, we created a 

disability flag according to a self reported response of receiving disability 

compensation.

To conduct our analysis of the frequency of various disabling conditions 

among homeless women veterans, we used the VETSNET data as 

follows:

• For cases where there was more than one record per person, we kept 

the record with the highest combined disability rating and with the 

most diagnostic codes.

• We merged the VETSNET data with the data that was used for the 

analysis described above.

• As before, we dropped cases where gender was undetermined, for 

example if the gender from one data set was different from the gender 

in the other. 

• To conduct our analysis of the wait times for HUD-VASH we used 

information from the HUD-VASH Referral, Admission, and Housing 

Progress Report Worksheets as follows:

• We used only data that was collected through VA’s Online Data 

Collection because the data contained unique identifiers for each 

episode, which allowed us to accurately track and merge episodes 

across the multiple forms. 

Analysis of HUD-VASH 

Wait Times
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 12 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

• We merged the following data sets: 

• HUD-VASH Referral

• HUD-VASH Admission

• HUD-VASH Housing Progress Report, Forms I and II

• To ensure we had complete records for our analysis we dropped 

cases that were missing key information.

• We dropped cases that did not have the entire sequence of forms. 

For example, if a case appeared in the Admission form but not the 

Housing Progress Report forms, then that case was dropped.

• We dropped those cases that were missing one or more of the 

following key variables of our analysis: 

• Date of HUD-VASH referral 

• Date of formal admission to HUD-VASH (Admission Form, Q8)

• Date HUD-VASH voucher was awarded (Housing Progress 

Report, Part I, Q8a)

• Date veteran moved into apartment (Housing Progress Report, Part 

II, Q15) 

• We also dropped cases where gender was missing or did not match 

across the various forms.

• We ensured each person had one record by using the most 

completed record (based on key variables for our analysis) across 

all forms for each person with multiple records. 

• If a person had multiple completed records, then the most 

current entry was used. “Most current” was defined as the 

most current date of referral.
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 13 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

In order to determine whether there were barriers that homeless women 

veterans faced in accessing veteran housing services, we conducted two 

surveys—one to GPD providers and one to homeless coordinators at VA 

Medical Centers. The practical difficulties of conducting any survey may 

introduce certain errors, such as difficulties interpreting a particular 

question, which can introduce unwanted variability into the survey results. 

We took steps to minimize such errors by pretesting the GPD survey with 

four program providers and the short homeless coordinator survey with 

two homeless coordinators. We conducted pretests to verify that (1) the 

questions were clear and unambiguous, (2) terminology was used 

correctly, (3) the questionnaires did not place an undue burden on 

officials, and (4) the questionnaires were comprehensive and unbiased. 

An independent reviewer within GAO also reviewed a draft of each survey 

prior to its administration. We made revisions to the surveys based on 

feedback from the pretests before administering the surveys.

In order to determine whether there were barriers that homeless women 

veterans faced in accessing GPD housing we surveyed GPD programs 

that VA indicated had a capacity to serve women. We added 10 more 

programs as some providers told us they had additional programs serving 

women (for a total of 226 programs). Of these, we dropped 48 

programs—bringing our target population to 178—as we determined that 

certain GPD programs were not in the scope of our survey. For example, 

we dropped programs that reported not serving women, were not yet 

operational, or had closed. To increase the response rate for our survey, 

we sent out follow up e-mails, made phone calls to the non-respondents 

on two occasions, and resent surveys as necessary. Through these 

efforts, 142 of 178 providers submitted their completed surveys—for a 

response rate of 80 percent. In addition, for the map on slide 9 we were 

able to contact 9 additional providers and have them complete partial 

surveys by phone; thus the map is based on information from 151 

providers, or 85 percent of our population.2

 

2

With the exception of the map and its corresponding appendix, GPD survey findings in 

the report are based on responses from the 142 surveys (80 percent) that were submitted.

Questions in the GPD Survey 

focused on number of beds available to homeless women veterans and 

the configuration of GPD facilities (mixed gender or single gender and 

living arrangements), beds for specific populations (veterans with 

disabilities and veterans with children), safety concerns, outreach, and 

Surveys

Survey of Grant and Per 

Diem (GPD) Program 

Providers
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 14 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

barriers homeless women veterans may face when accessing veteran 

housing. 

In order to determine whether there were barriers related to outreach and 

placement in temporary housing during wait times for VA programs, we 

surveyed all 142 homeless coordinators at VA medical centers. We 

received responses from 114 of these coordinators, for a response rate of 

about 80 percent. We do not have information on whether or not VA 

Medical Centers reviewed these surveys or how such a review may have 

affected the responses. Questions focused on outreach efforts, referral 

plans and processes, and tracking veterans awaiting placement in 

veteran housing. 

In order to improve our understanding of data collection on homeless 

women veterans and any barriers women veterans may face in accessing 

GPD or HUD-VASH housing, we conducted four site visits to California, 

the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These sites were 

selected in part for geographic diversity, range of services offered, and 

the concentration of homeless veterans. California and Texas are among 

the fours states with the greatest populations of homeless veterans. More 

information on the types of programs we visited is in table 1.

Table 1: Types of Programs and Settings Visited during Our Site Visits

VA GPD providers Non VA sponsored Facility

Special 

needs grant

to serve 

women with 

children 

Women only 

program 

Mixed gender 

program

Capacity to 

serve women 

and children

Women 

only

Mixed 

Gender

Sites we 

visited were 

generally

California      Urban

District of Columbia  Urban

Pennsylvania  Non Urban

Texas    Both

Source: GAO analysis of site visit documentation.

Survey of VA Medical 

Center Homeless 

Coordinators

Site Visits
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology 

Page 15 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

For our site visits we spoke with: 

 VA Medical Center staff, including homeless coordinators when 

possible; 

 GPD providers; 

 homeless women veterans; 

 representatives from the local Continuums of Care; and 

 community-based homeless service providers that housed women 

veterans, but did not receive GPD funding. 

We also took photographs at VA Medical Centers and at GPD programs. 

To improve our knowledge of any barriers that homeless women veterans 

face and to understand their experiences seeking housing, we held ten 

structured discussion groups during our site visits at VA and non VA 

funded programs. Overall we spoke with more than 50 women veterans 

who were experiencing or had experienced homelessness (the number is 

not exact because in some discussion groups women entered and left). In 

order to help ensure anonymity and increase comfort with the discussion, 

we asked that the women not use their own names throughout the 

discussions. 

In each of the discussion groups, we covered the following topics: factors 

that led to homelessness, experiences with current housing program and 

other housing programs if appropriate, HUD-VASH, homelessness with 

dependent children, and experiences while waiting for veteran housing 

programs. We also discussed barriers the women may have faced in 

accessing GPD housing and solicited any suggestions the women had for 

how the federal government could best meet their needs. Following the 

discussion groups, we asked the women to provide us with some basic 

demographic information on a volunteer basis, and 52 women completed 

the demographic forms. 

Discussion Groups 
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 16 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Table 2: Summary Information about the Women in Our Discussion Groups Who 

Completed the Demographic Forms 

Characteristic

Number of women 

(Total 52)

Age 18-29 4 

30-39 7 

40-49 12 

50-59 25 

60-69 3 

70-79 1 

Race African American or Black 23

Caucasian or White 20

Other 5 

Employment Employed 12

Unemployed 39

Education GED 1 

High school diploma 8 

Some college (no degree) 24

Associate’s degree 9 

Bachelor’s degree 9 

Doctorate 1 

Had children under the age of 18 11

Source: GAO analysis of voluntary participant questionnaires.

Note: Number of women in each category may not sum to 52 as some fields were missing. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 17 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Appendix II: Briefing Slides

HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS: 

Actions Needed to Ensure Safe and 

Appropriate Housing

Briefing to Congressional Staff:

Committee on Veterans Affairs

United States Senate

November 2011
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 18 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 1

Overview

• Introduction

• Research Questions

• Scope and Methodology

• Summary of Key Findings

• Background

• Findings

• Conclusions

• Recommendations
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 19 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 2

Introduction

• As more women serve in the military, the number of women veterans 

has grown substantially, doubling from 4 percent of the veteran 

population in 1990 to 8 percent (or an estimated 1.8 million) today. 

• The number of women veterans will continue to increase as service 

members return from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

• Some women veterans are at risk of homelessness because they: 

• have disabling psychological conditions, such as Post-Traumatic 

Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, often resulting 

from experiencing military sexual trauma,a or

• are single mothers facing challenges with readjustment to civilian 

life.b

aMilitary sexual trauma (MST) is linked to homelessness among women veterans (“Risk Factors for Homelessness Among Women Veterans,” Washington, Yano, McGuire, et al. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2010; 21(1): 82-92. VA uses the term MST to refer to psychological trauma resulting from a physical assault or battery of a sexual nature or sexual harassment which occurred on active duty. See 38 U.S.C. 1720D. Women are more likely than men to experience MST (GAO-10-287). bYoung single mothers, in general, are vulnerable to being homeless. Women veterans are more likely to experience homelessness than similar non-veteran women. Fargo, Metraux, Byrne, Munley, Montgomery, Jones, Sheldon, and Culhane. 2011. "Prevalence and Risk of Homelessness among US Veterans: A Multisite Investigation," The Selected Works of Dennis P. Culhane. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 20 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 3

Introduction

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed to ending 

homelessness among all veterans by 2015.

• One of the guiding principles set forth in the plan is that “veterans and their 

families are the centerpiece of our mission and of everything we do.”a

• VA offers several housing programs for homeless veterans. The two largest 

housing programs are the:

• VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, which funds 

transitional housing and supportive services;b and

• HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), which is a joint program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA offering 

permanent supportive housing.c

• While these programs have expanded in recent years to serve more veterans, it 

remains unclear whether they have the capacity to meet the housing needs of all 

homeless women veterans and their families.

aDepartment of Veterans Affairs, VA Strategic Plan Refresh 2011-2015, 21. b38 U.S.C. §§ 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064. In FY 2011, VA obligated $ 217.7 million under the GPD program. cSee 73 Fed. Reg. 25,026 (May 6, 2008). HUD-VASH permanent supportive housing consists of case management provided by the VA coupled with rental assistance provided by HUD for housing selected by the veteran. In FY 2011, VA obligated $151.1 million for case management under the HUD-VASH program and HUD received a $50 million appropriation for rental assistance vouchers under HUD-VASH. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 21 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 4

Research Questions

1. What is known about the characteristics of homeless women 

veterans, including those with disabilities?

2. What barriers, if any, do homeless women veterans face in 

accessing and using VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem and HUD-VA Supportive Housing programs?
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 22 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 5

Scope and Methodology

To answer these questions, we:

• analyzed VA data for fiscal years 2006-2010 on women veterans (including those with disabilities) identified by VA as being homeless;a

• surveyed all GPD program providers that VA indicated had a capacity to serve 

women veterans and all homeless coordinators at VA Medical Centers;b

• conducted site visits to California, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and 

Texas, which included discussions with service providers, organizations collecting homelessness data, and homeless women veterans;c and

• interviewed agency officials and veterans service organizations, and reviewed 

relevant federal laws, regulations, and program documents. For more details on 

our methodology, see appendix I.

We assessed VA data for reliability and found them to be sufficiently reliable for the 

purposes of this report. 

We conducted this performance audit from October 2010 through November 2011 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

aVA may identify women as homeless during outreach activities or when women contact the VA for services. Not all women veterans who contact the VA for services are automatically screened for homelessness. Fiscal years span October 1 – September 30. bBoth surveys achieved a response rate of 80 percent and are generalizable. Homeless coordinators are responsible for oversight and monitoring of VA homeless programs for a given network of VA Medical Centers in a geographic region.

cThese sites were selected in part for geographic diversity, range of services offered, and the concentration of homeless veterans identified by VA. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 23 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 6

Summary of Key Findings

1. Data on the characteristics of homeless women veterans are limited to 

those who have been in contact with VA. While HUD captures data on 

homeless women and on homeless veterans, neither HUD nor VA 

collect detailed information on homeless women veterans. Specifically, 

they lack data on the number of such women in the general population, 

as well as data on the characteristics and needs of these women on a 

national, state, and local level. 

2. Homeless women veterans face barriers when accessing and using 

veteran housing,a including lack of awareness of these programs, lack 

of referrals for temporary housing while awaiting placement in GPD 

and HUD-VASH housing, limited housing for women with children, and 

concerns about personal safety.

aThroughout this report, we use the term “veteran housing” to refer exclusively to the housing offered by the GPD and HUD-VASH programs.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 24 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 7

Background 

• For the purpose of the GPD and HUD-VASH programs, homeless veterans include 

those:

• who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

• whose primary nighttime residence is a place not designed for or ordinarily used as 

a regular sleeping accommodation; or 

• who are living in a supervised temporary shelter (including hotels and motels 

funded by charities or government programs).a

• HUD, VA, and the Department of Labor fund programs that specifically serve homeless 

veterans. These programs focus on supportive housing (transitional and permanent); 

treatment and rehabilitation; employment and job training; and the prevention of 

homelessness.b

• In addition, VA officials told us that the agency recently created a task team to address 

the needs of homeless women veterans.

aPursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 2002(1), both the GPD and HUD-VASH programs define “homeless veteran” in accordance with section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Other veterans may also be considered homeless under these programs; for the complete definition, as amended, see 42 U.S.C. § 11302(a). bVA homelessness prevention efforts include Supportive Services for Veteran Families and the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (1-877-4AID VET). See 

appendix III for information on these programs and others. A complete discussion of these programs is also available in a report by the Congressional Research Service, 

Veterans and Homelessness (RL34024), July 2011. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 25 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 8

Grant and Per Diem Program

• VA annually awards funding to community providers for supportive housing to homeless veterans 

through its GPD Program.a

• VA staff are tasked with approving applications from potential community providers and annually 

reviewing existing programs to ensure they meet program requirements, including general safety 

requirements. As of October 2011, VA reimbursed providers up to $38.90 per day for each 

veteran housed.

• A special needs component of the GPD program funds providers that serve certain groups of 

vulnerable homeless veterans, including women veterans caring for minor dependent children.b

• GPD programs offer various supportive services for homeless veterans to help them achieve residential 

stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and aid their self-determination.

• The 600 current GPD programs have 13,888 beds that primarily provide transitional housing—typically 

up to 24 months—to homeless veterans. 

• Approximately 178 GPD programs serve women and 42 of these programs opened in the last two 

years.c

• Currently, as many as 2,605 beds are available to women veterans.

• At least 956 of these beds are currently designated solely for homeless women veterans.

• These figures include 74 beds at the six GPD providers receiving special needs funds to 

serve women veterans with children.

Background

a38 U.S.C. §§ 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064. VA also awards funding for supportive services. Under the per diem component of the program, VA is authorized to pay providers the daily cost of care per eligible veteran, subject to certain limitations. 

b38 U.S.C. 2061. cWe determined there were about 178 GPD programs with a capacity to serve women based on data provided by VA. In the course of surveying programs, we found that some did not actually serve women. On the other hand, some programs that were not identified as having a capacity to serve women did, in fact, serve women. Therefore, the exact number of these programs remains unclear. The 178 programs include the 26 GPD programs that did not respond to our survey. See appendix I. 
Page 10

Grant and Per Diem Program (cont’d)

PRELIMINARY

Background

 Page 9

Source: GAO analysis of survey and VA data.

Mixed gender, no children

Mixed gender, children

Women only, no children

Women only, children

Nonrespondents

Interactive graphic

For more

information on 

programs, roll 

mouse over

each state. See 

appendix IV for 

print version.

Page 26 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 27 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 10

HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) 

Program

• The HUD-VASH program provides case management and assistance 

with permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans and their 

families.

• VA provides case management and services to support stability or 

recovery from physical and mental health issues, or substance 

abuse.a

• HUD provides rental assistance through the Housing Choice 

(Section 8) Voucher Program, which provides rental subsidies to 

homeless veterans to rent apartments or houses.b

• HUD and VA work collaboratively to determine the distribution of the 

vouchers. 

Background

a38 U.S.C. 2003(b).

bLocal public housing agencies use funding from HUD to administer Housing Choice/Section 8 vouchers that assist very low-income families, among others, to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. See 24 C.F.R. 982.1.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 28 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 11

HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program 

(cont’d)

• HUD-VASH vouchers are targeted to the chronically homeless; 

however, homeless women veterans who are not chronically homeless, 

including those with children, are also eligible for HUD-VASH, according 

to the program handbook.a

• Over 31,000 HUD-VASH vouchers were issued from fiscal years 

2008 through 2011, according to VA data, and about 11 percent 

went to homeless women veterans.b

• 1,020 HUD-VASH vouchers, or about 3 percent, were given to 

homeless women veterans with children during this time period, 

according to VA data.b

Background

aVeterans Health Administration Handbook 1162.05, 19-20. bBased on GAO analysis of VA data from HUD-VASH Referral Worksheets (fiscal years 2008-2011).
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 29 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 12

Federal Data Collection on Homeless Veterans

• In response to congressional directives, HUD collects data on homelessness in part to 

assist with service planning at the federal level.a VA uses HUD data on homeless veterans 

to track progress toward its goal of ending homelessness among veterans by 2015.

• HUD publishes the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress on the extent 

and nature of homelessness using data collected from the Homeless Management 

Information Systems, Point-in-Time Counts, and Housing Inventory Counts.b

• Over the past 2 years, VA and HUD have been collaborating to jointly collect data 

specific to veterans for the veterans supplement to the Annual Homeless 

Assessment Report.

• To identify and plan for the needs of homeless veterans, VA collaborates with local 

communities across the United States through its Community Homelessness Assessment, 

Local Education and Networking Groups for Veterans (CHALENG) project.

• This project publishes an annual report that ranks the needs of homeless veterans 

based on two VA surveys: one of homeless and formerly homeless veterans and the 

other of VA staff and community providers. 

Background

aSee S. Rep. No. 106-410, at 51 (2000), S. Rep. No. 109-109, at 176 (2005). bHUD and other planners and policymakers use aggregate Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data for information on homelessness over time. HMIS data are collected locally then reported to HUD in aggregate form. In addition to HMIS data, HUD also collects data from locally-administered Point-in-Time counts, which are one- night counts of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons, and Housing Inventory Counts, which inventory beds for homeless persons. VA’s GPD programs recently began to participate in HMIS and in the Housing Inventory Counts.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 30 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 13

Information on the Characteristics of Homeless 

Women Veterans Is Limited

• Limited VA data show that the number of women veterans the agency 

identified as homeless more than doubled between FY 2006 and 

FY 2010. In FY 2010, homeless women veterans were commonly 

middle-aged, divorced, unemployed, or newly homeless. Many of these 

women also had disabilities.

• HUD collects data on homeless women and on homeless veterans, but 

does not collect detailed data specific to homeless women veterans. 

• As a result, the number of homeless women veterans is unknown at 

the national, state, and local levels.

• Key information on the characteristics and needs of these women is also 

lacking at these levels, potentially hindering program planning and 

progress toward VA’s goal of ending homelessness among veterans.

Finding 1: Overview of Characteristics
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 31 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 14

Number of Homeless Women Veterans Identified by VA 

Increased between FY 2006 and FY 2010

• Women veterans identified 

as homeless by VA 

increased more than 140 

percent, from 1,380 in 

fiscal year 2006 to 3,328 in 

fiscal year 2010.a

• This compares to a 45 

percent increase in male 

veterans identified as 

homeless, from 34,137 to 

49,373 over the same 

period. 

aVA collects data on homeless veterans primarily through program intake or outreach forms. Unless otherwise noted, these analyses are based on individuals identified as 

homeless by VA through either an intake form referred to as Form X or the HUD-VASH Referral Worksheet.

Characteristics: Limited Information

• Data represent only those homeless veterans identified by VA, and 

are not generalizable to the population of homeless women veterans.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 32 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 15

Homeless Women Veterans Identified by VA Were Often

Unemployed and Staying with Family or Friends

Characteristics: Limited Information

a Information concerning the children of VA-identified homeless women veterans is based on GAO analysis of VA’s HUD-VASH Referral Worksheet data. “Staying with 

family or friends” above signifies “living in an apartment, room, or house of family member or friend during the past 30 days.” “Lived outdoors” above signifies “lived 

outdoors during the past 30 days.” The “Persian Gulf period or after” includes the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 33 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 16

Homeless Women Veterans Identified by VA 

Frequently Had Disabilities

• VA data indicate that over 40 percent of VA-identified homeless women 

veterans had disabilities and a corresponding disability rating.a

• Among those with a disability rating, homeless women were more 

likely than homeless men to have a rating of 50 percent or higher.

• The most frequent diagnoses among homeless women veterans 

with a disability rating were musculoskeletal conditions followed by 

mental disorders and eating disorders.

• The characteristics of homeless women veterans who reported receiving 

disability compensation were largely similar to those who did not report 

receiving such compensation. However, a larger percentage were 

unemployed (86 percent compared to 71 percent for those without 

disability compensation).

aVA uses disability ratings to set monthly disability compensation for eligible veterans. The rating is a percentage that increases with the severity of the disability. 38 U.S.C. 

1155. About 20 percent of the homeless women veterans with a disability rating had a rating of 0 percent and therefore likely received no disability compensation. 

Analysis on disability ratings and associated conditions of homeless women veterans identified by VA between FY 2006 and FY 2010 is based on VETSNET data 

received from VA on May 31, 2011. 

Characteristics: Limited Information
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 34 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 17

Neither VA Nor HUD Capture Data on the Overall 

Population of Homeless Women Veterans

• HUD captures detailed data on homeless women and on homeless veterans, but not 

on homeless women veterans.

• As a result, the number of homeless women veterans is unknown at the 

national, state, and local levels.a

• In addition, VA does not have complete information on the characteristics and needs 

of these women on a national, state, or local level because neither HUD nor VA 

collect these data. 

• HUD does not collect any data on unsheltered veterans by gender.

• Neither HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report nor its associated 

veterans supplement capture characteristics of sheltered homeless women 

veterans, such as age, number of children, or disability status. 

• VA does not have complete information on the needs of homeless veterans by 

gender. 

• While VA has begun collecting gender information from its survey of 

homeless veterans for its 2011 CHALENG report, it does not collect gender- specific information on the needs of homeless veterans from its survey of 

local VA staff and community providers.b

aBecause HUD does not collect data on unsheltered homeless women veterans, neither HUD nor VA know the total number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless women 

veterans. 

bVA’s annual Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups for Veterans (CHALENG) report is the agency’s primary assessment of 

homeless veterans’ needs.

Characteristics: Inadequate Data
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 35 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 18

Lack of Data Hinders Program Planning and Measurement of 

Progress toward Goal of Ending Homelessness

• Limited VA and HUD data hinder a thorough understanding of the characteristics 

and needs of the overall population of homeless women veterans. 

• Without more complete data, VA does not have information needed to plan 

services effectively, allocate grants to providers, and track progress toward its 

overall goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.

• VA’s incomplete data on the needs of homeless women veterans impedes its 

ability to plan programs and services for this population. 

• While VA funds programs for housing homeless women veterans, it does not 

have adequate data to determine if the programs have the right number of 

beds in the right locations. 

• VA does not have the information necessary to measure changes in the total 

number of homeless women veterans, including those who are unsheltered, 

over time.

• To be consistent with federal standards and best practices established by GAO, 

federal agencies should ensure they capture information needed to plan 

effectively.a In addition, Congress directed HUD to develop meaningful data on the nation’s homeless population to improve efforts in addressing homelessness.b

aFor more information on these standards and best practices, see the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), Pub. L. 

No. 111-352, 124 Stat. 3866 (2011), which amends the Government Performance and R esults Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-62, 107 Stat. 285 (1993), and internal control 

standards in GAO/AIMD-00-21.3.1 and GAO-01-1008G. bSee S. Rep. No. 106-410, at 51 (2000), S. Rep. No. 109-109, at 176 (2005). 

Characteristics: Inadequate Data
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 36 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 19

Collecting Additional Data on Homeless Women 

Veterans Would Involve Minimal Burden and Cost

• A key HUD official familiar with homelessness data collection said the burden 

and cost of obtaining data on homeless veterans by gender would be minimal. 

• Because HUD currently captures information on both homeless veterans 

and on homeless women, capturing detailed information on homeless 

women veterans would require minimal changes to HUD’s data collection 

efforts, according to HUD officials.a

• Representatives of the five organizations we contacted that submit 

homelessness data to HUD said the burden of submitting data on the numbers 

and characteristics of homeless veterans by gender would be minimal. 

• These representatives also stated that they currently collect some data on 

the characteristics of homeless women veterans.

• In addition, VA officials familiar with the CHALENG report indicated that 

modifying the report's data collection efforts to gather information from providers 

on the needs of homeless women veterans would not impose additional costs.

Characteristics: Inadequate Data

aBeginning with the 2011 Point-in-Time counts, HUD required all participating communities to gather the veteran status of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals. Its guidance acknowledged that determining veteran status would likely require interviewing individuals—as this status cannot be determined visually. Although HUD officials told us this requirement may be challenging and data quality could initially be problematic, they agreed that data on gender could likewise be gathered with minimal additional burden. Collecting gender specific data would likely require minimal modifications to HUD’s data system; however, as with any new data collection effort, HUD would need to ensure the data were cleaned and validated. Representatives of the two software companies we contacted told us the cost associated with modifying their data collection software and the challenges to making these changes would be minimal.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 37 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 20

Homeless Women Veterans Face Several Significant Barriers to 

Accessing and Using GPD and HUD-VASH Housing

Homeless women veterans encounter several barriers to accessing and using the GPD and HUD-VASH programs. These include:

• Lack of awareness about these housing programs: 

• Many homeless women veterans may not know about VA supported housing; 

however, VA has recently launched an extensive outreach campaign that 

includes efforts to target homeless women veterans.

• Lack of referrals: 

• About 24 percent of VA Medical Center homeless coordinators reported not having referral plans or processes in place to ensure homeless women veterans 

have temporary housing while they wait for HUD-VASH or GPD housing.

• Limited housing for women with children:

• Only about one-third of GPD programs with a capacity to serve women could also house their children, and many of these programs had restrictions on the ages or 

number of children per family. 

• Safety concerns: 

• Homeless women veterans we talked to cited safety concerns with GPD housing 

and some GPD programs reported incidents of sexual harassment or assault on 

women residents. In addition, there are no minimum gender-specific safety and security standards for GPD programs.a

Finding 2: Overview of Housing Barriers

aHowever, GPD providers must comply with general safety requirements, such as fire codes and state and local housing codes and licensing requirements. See 38 C.F.R. 

61.80
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 38 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 21

Lack of Awareness About Veteran Housing 

Poses a Barrier 

• Many homeless women veterans may not be accessing veteran housing 

programs because they are unaware of the availability of these programs, 

according to GPD programs we surveyed, service providers, agency officials, 

and experts we interviewed.

• While VA Medical Center homeless coordinators reported reaching out to 

homeless women veterans at locations such as soup kitchens and homeless 

veteran outreach events (stand downs), they described several challenges.a

• For example, one homeless coordinator wrote, “Homeless women veterans 

are an invisible population. They do not want to be identified as homeless 

for fear of [youth protective services] assessing their situation as dangerous 

to the welfare of their families.”

• Several homeless coordinators told us women do not always self-identify as veterans. One homeless coordinator explained that women often believe 

the designation refers exclusively to those who served in combat.b

Housing Barriers: Lack of Awareness

aStand downs are 1 to 3 day events providing services to homeless veterans including food, clothing, benefits counseling, and referrals to other services. bHowever, VA may consider those who served in combat or non-combat positions to be veterans. For the purposes of the GPD and HUD-VASH programs, a veteran is defined as a person who served in the active military, naval or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. 38 U.S.C. 101(2). 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 39 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 22

In Their Own Words: Lack of Awareness About 

Veteran Housing

I didn’t know about this place until a month ago, I had no idea the place 

existed...they don’t advertise it or anything.

—Homeless woman veteran

Served in U.S. Navy for 1 year, homeless for 3 years

Housing Barriers: Lack of Awareness

I found myself sleeping out there on the streets... If it wasn’t for a couple 

of veterans that were out there that told me about this place, I’d still be 

out there...I was stopped by a couple of cops. They said...there are lots 

of places for veterans. I asked where; they couldn’t tell me.

—Mother of three 

Served in Marine Corps for 14 years, homeless for 13 years

Source: GAO discussion groups with homeless women veterans in 10 locations. For details, see appendix I. These are quotes from individual veterans and do not 

represent the views of all the women in the discussion groups or of the total population of homeless women veterans.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 40 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 23

New VA Outreach Campaign May Increase 

Awareness of Veteran Housing Programs

• In October 2011, VA launched an extensive campaign to reach out to 

homeless veterans and connect them with veteran housing and related 

services. The campaign includes:

• materials specific to women veterans and veterans with children, 

and 

• outreach to clergy, family members, and friends to engage those 

women veterans who may be reluctant to approach VA.

• The campaign targets 28 communities, including 7 in rural areas that 

may have fewer resources for homeless women veterans.a

• Sustained outreach efforts could help homeless women veterans, 

including those with children and those in rural areas, by increasing their 

awareness of veteran housing services.

Housing Barriers: Lack of Awareness

aIn a recent report on rural homelessness, GAO found that there were several challenges associated with providing homeless services in rural areas, including limited 

access to services and a lack of transportation. GAO, Rural Homelessness: Better Collaboration by HHS and HUD Could Improve Delivery of Services in Rural Areas, 

GAO-10-724 (Washington, D.C.: July 2010).
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 41 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 24

• VA screens homeless veterans for various services, including HUD-VASH and GPD 

housing, and requires its staff to “ensure that homeless veterans have a referral 

for...shelter or temporary housing” in VA or community facilities.a

• However, several homeless women veterans told us VA did not provide referrals for 

temporary housing while they awaited placement in veteran housing.

• Further, 24 percent of VA Medical Center homeless coordinators indicated that they did 

not have a referral plan or process for temporarily housing homeless women veterans 

awaiting placement in HUD-VASH or GPD programs.

• We also found that 11 percent of homeless coordinators did not have a referral plan, 

process, or list of shelters for these women.b

• Additionally, it was unclear the extent to which some homeless coordinators who 

reported having a referral plan, process, or list of shelters actually referred women to 

shelter or temporary housing.b

Housing Barriers: Lack of Referral Plans

aThe Uniform Mental Health Services in VA Medical Centers and Clinics handbook (VHA Handbook 1160.01) establishes minimum clinical requirements for VA mental health services, which includes treatment of homeless veterans. VA has also issued general guidance on the referral and placement of homeless veterans in its HUD- VASH handbook (VHA Handbook 1162.05).

bBased on GAO analysis of open-ended survey responses among VA Medical Center homeless coordinators.

Lack of Referrals for Temporary Housing While Waiting 

for HUD-VASH and GPD Housing Poses a Barrier 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 42 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 25

Referrals for Temporary Housing Are Needed 

Because of Waits for HUD-VASH and GPD Housing

• On average, a homeless woman veteran waited 126 days from her 

initial HUD-VASH screening to her move into more permanent HUDVASH housing, according to our analysis of VA data for fiscal years 

2008-2011.a

• One fourth of GPD programs we surveyed reported waits for women’s 

beds. The median wait was 30 days.b

Housing Barriers: Lack of Referral Plans 

aScreenings for HUD-VASH are sometimes performed only if vouchers are available, so this wait time does not include any additional time a homeless woman veteran may wait for availability of a voucher. In response to our draft report, VA told us that based on their calculations using more recent data, it took an average of 102 days to transition a veteran into HUD-VASH housing, as of September 1, 2011. bWaits ranged from 4 days to 1 year.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 43 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 26

In Their Own Words: Lack of Referrals Pose a 

Barrier

(While waiting for veteran housing) I slept in my car...for 9 days...One of 

the reasons I like a big car is in case someone throws me out I have a big 

back seat to sleep in...

—Homeless woman veteran

Served in U.S. Army for 3 years, homeless since 2003

Housing Barriers: Lack of Referral Plans

GAO interviewer

Did the VA help you find a place to stay while you were waiting [for veteran housing]?

No, I stayed in an unhealthy environment where I was very abused.

—Woman veteran

Served in U.S. Army and 

diagnosed with a condition related to military sexual trauma

Source: GAO discussion groups with homeless women veterans in 10 locations. For details, see appendix I. These are quotes from individual veterans and do not represent 

the views of all the women in the discussion groups or of the total population of homeless women veterans.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 44 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 27

Lack of Referrals for Temporary Housing Puts Homeless 

Women Veterans at Risk During Wait for Veteran Housing

• VA officials and others told us that homeless women veterans are often 

further in crisis than their male counterparts when they seek VA help. 

• One VA Medical Center homeless coordinator said homeless 

women veterans “have often used all of their available resources 

from family, friends, and community before they come to us, causing 

them to need immediate help, which is often hard to find.”

• Without referrals to appropriate and safe housing while waiting for HUD- VASH or GPD housing, homeless women veterans may be at risk of 

physical harm and further trauma. 

• Homeless women living on the street are at risk of assault and other 

physical harm.a

Housing Barriers: Lack of Referral Plans

aLisa A. Goodman et al, No Safe Place: Sexual Assault in the Lives of Homeless Women (Harrisburg, Pa.: National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women, 2011); Phoebe Soares et al, A Long Journey Home: A Guide for Creating Trauma-Informed Services for Mothers and Children Experiencing Homelessness (Rockville, Md.: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; and the Daniels Fund; National Child Traumatic Stress Network; and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2008); and Margot B. Kushel et al, “No Door to Lock: Victimization Among Homeless and Marginally Housed Persons,” Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 163, no. 20 (2003). 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 45 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 28

• Over 60 percent (90) of GPD programs we surveyed with a capacity to 

serve women reported that they do not house children.

• Over 70 percent of the 52 GPD programs that reported housing 

children had restrictions. 

• 31 programs restricted the number of children housed per veteran. 

Of these, 11 said they could accommodate up to 2 children and 6 

said they could accommodate up to 3 children per veteran. 

• 16 programs had age restrictions. Of these, 5 house only children 

age 14 and under, and 3 do not house boys over age 12.

• Other restrictions applied to room arrangements. For example, one 

program does not allow children older than 5 of different genders 

to share a room.

Housing Barriers: Limited Programs House Children

Limited GPD Housing for Homeless Women Veterans with 

Children Poses a Barrier
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 46 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 29

Limited GPD Housing for Homeless Women Veterans with 

Children (cont’d)

• Over 40 percent (62) of the GPD programs we surveyed cited “lack of 

access for women with children” as one of the top barriers faced by 

homeless women veterans.

• Additionally, over 25 percent (37) reported insufficient housing or 

services for homeless women veterans with dependent children.a

• For example, one provider wrote: “One of the biggest [service] 

gaps that I see is the lack of access for women with children. It is 

difficult to find housing with children. The VA does not provide 

much support for the veteran's family.”

• Such limitations on housing for women veterans with children could 

hinder VA from fulfilling its guiding principle of serving veterans and 

their families.

Housing Barriers: Limited Programs House Children

aWe asked GPD programs with a capacity to serve women, “Based on your experience with this population, please describe unmet housing needs or service 

gaps, if any, for homeless women veterans.”
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 47 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 30

In Their Own Words: Limited GPD Housing for Women 

with Children Poses Challenges

I called Child Protective Services on myself...I figured if I’d give [my 

children] to CPS, they could give them back to me...my son was 2 and the 

babies...they were infants...No one asked if I was a veteran.

— Mother of four children, served in U.S. Army

Homeless in area with no GPD program for women with children

She later received HUD-VASH housing and was reunited with her children

(Shelters that take children) don’t have any beds available. You call one, 

they say they’re full and tell you to call the one down the street and they 

don’t have beds either...I’ve done things I wasn’t happy with just to keep 

my kids off the streets. 

—Mother of three children under age 12, served in U.S. Army

Housing Barriers: Limited Programs House Children

Source: GAO discussion groups with homeless women veterans in 10 locations. For details, see appendix I. These are quotes from individual veterans and do not represent 

the views of all the women in the discussion groups or of the total population of homeless women veterans.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 48 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 31

GPD Programs Face Financial Disincentives to 

Serving Homeless Women Veterans with Children

• VA reimburses GPD providers for the daily costs of housing homeless 

veterans, but does not have the statutory authority to reimburse providers for 

the costs of housing veterans’ children.a

• Even VA’s GPD special needs grant program—which specifically serves women with children—does not include payments for the daily cost of housing children.b

• 18 of the GPD programs we surveyed reported financial disincentives or 

increased costs associated with serving homeless women veterans with 

children. 

• For example, one provider wrote: “If a female is admitted with children, 

there is no compensation or reimbursement for the beds that the children 

use, which could be used for veterans. The result is a net loss of income 

for the program. Housing women veterans with children is a disincentive 

to programs due to an income reduction.” 

• As a result, homeless women veterans with children face additional barriers to 

accessing GPD housing and may be at risk of remaining homeless.

Housing Barriers: Limited Programs House Children

aSuch reimbursements are subject to certain limitations. According to a VA official, there is no specific statutory prohibition against making these payments solely on behalf 

of veterans’ children, rather it is the lack of such authority in the GPD program statute which precludes VA from making such payments. B38 U.S.C. § 2061. As with all GPD programs, VA lacks authority to make payments solely on behalf of housing veterans’ children, although funds may be used for child care and other costs.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 49 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 32

Safety Concerns Pose a Barrier to Using GPD Housing

• Several homeless women veterans we talked to cited safety concerns 

with GPD housing, including incidents of men accessing women-only 

spaces, and male staff and residents watching them and making 

inappropriate comments and physical advances. 

• 9 of 142 GPD programs we surveyed said there were reports of sexual 

harassment or assault of women at their facilities.a These included:

• A staff member making inappropriate telephone calls to and 

taking photographs of a female resident.

• A male resident pushing a female resident down and trying to 

kiss her.b

• Over one-fourth (40) of GPD programs we surveyed cited “feeling 

unsafe in shelter or housing facility” as a barrier that could hinder 

women from accessing veteran housing.

Housing Barriers: Safety Concerns

aOf the 9 programs reporting sexual harassment/assault of women: 7 incidents occurred in mixed gender facilities, and 5 of these programs housed men and women on a common floor with gender specific rooms. 

bBoth incidents were addressed: the staff member was fired and the male resident was discharged, according to these GPD programs.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 50 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Safety Concerns Pose a Barrier (cont’d)

• We also found possible safety issues at some GPD facilities we visited, including:

Page 33
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 51 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

If (men are allowed to say) things that are sexually inappropriate, it just doesn’t feel good when 

you walk into that environment—it’s almost like you are violated all over again. I have heard 

comments made that shouldn’t have been made, some females here (at the GPD housing) were 

touched. It goes from comments, to looks, to touching.

— Homeless woman veteran speaking of her experiences at a GPD 

program. She had also experienced military sexual trauma while on active duty.

A man put his hands on me and I body slammed him...I got in trouble, but I’m not letting a man 

touch me...Men made gestures, said sexual things, and (sometimes) got physical. They (the VA 

GPD program) need to figure out a way for the women to feel safe there. 

— Homeless woman veteran speaking about her experiences at a GPD program. She 

noted that another man continued to harass her and other female residents. She told us the 

GPD program gave him a warning, but did not discharge him from the program for some time. 

Page 34

In Their Own Words: Safety Concerns in GPD 

Programs

Housing Barriers: Safety Concerns

Source: GAO discussion groups with homeless women veterans in 10 locations. For details, see appendix I. These are quotes from individual veterans and do not represent 

the views of all the women in the discussion groups or of the total population of homeless women veterans.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 52 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 35

VA’s Inspector General Found Unsafe Conditions at a 

GPD Program 

• The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported in September 2011 

that one GPD program had been housing homeless women veterans— including some who had experienced military sexual trauma and 

domestic violence—in an all-male facility since fiscal year 2002.a

• The OIG found women were inappropriately housed and little action was 

taken to address their safety, security, and privacy risks.

• For example, male and female residents shared a common 

bathroom that was easy to enter even when the door was locked.b

• As a result, VA has begun surveying all active GPD programs on safety 

and security measures in place to protect women residents. In addition, 

VA officials told us that in the future they plan to ask potential GPD 

providers to discuss safety provisions in their funding applications.

Housing Barriers: Safety Concerns

aThe facility was designated as being all-male, but had housed some women veterans.

bThe VA OIG found that while the door had a lock, it was easy to use a credit card to open the door from the outside.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 53 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 36

GPD Programs Lack Gender-Specific Safety and Security 

Standards 

• VA generally requires supportive housing providers to ensure that each 

resident is “afforded appropriate space and security.”a

• However, GPD programs do not have gender-specific safety and 

security standards, according to a VA official.b

• Without such standards and oversight to ensure they are in place, 

homeless women veterans and their children may remain at risk of 

sexual harassment or assault.

Housing Barriers: Safety Concerns

a38 C.F.R. 61.80(b)(4). bAlthough providers applying for the special needs grants to care for women, including those with children, should include in their applications how they will address 

safety and security issues, see 38 C.F.R. § 61.43(d)(4), there are no minimum gender-specific safety and security standards that must be met.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 54 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 37

Conclusions

• VA is taking steps to end homelessness for all veterans by 2015, but it risks 

inadequately serving women in programs that have traditionally served men.

• This risk is particularly significant as VA encounters an influx of women 

veterans, including those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Although VA has recently funded additional Grant and Per Diem programs that 

house women, the agency cannot efficiently allocate its resources nor effectively 

plan or evaluate programs for these women without specific data on the 

population of homeless women veterans. 

• Homeless women veterans face several barriers in accessing and using veteran 

housing. While VA’s new outreach campaign should increase awareness of 

veteran housing, it is incumbent on the agency to foster a more welcoming 

environment for homeless women veterans—including those with children and 

those who have experienced military sexual trauma—and to ensure they have 

safe and appropriate housing. Failure to do so may place homeless women 

veterans, and the agency’s goal of ending homelessness, at risk. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 55 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 38

Recommendations for Executive Action

In order to help achieve the goal of ending homelessness among veterans, the 

Secretaries of VA and HUD should collaborate to ensure appropriate data are 

collected on homeless women veterans, including those with children and those 

with disabilities, and use these data to strategically plan for services.

• HUD could gather information on the number of unsheltered homeless 

women veterans through the Point-in-Time Counts.

• HUD could also collect additional information on the characteristics of 

homeless women veterans through its data collection efforts for the Annual 

Homeless Assessment Report supplement.

• VA could solicit information on the needs of homeless women veterans 

from local VA staff and community service providers through its CHALENG 

survey.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 56 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 39

Recommendations for Executive Action

In order to ensure homeless women veterans have an appropriate place to stay 

while they await placement in GPD or HUD-VASH veteran housing, the Secretary 

of VA should ensure implementation of VA’s referral policies. 

• VA should provide technical assistance or guidance to its homeless 

coordinators to facilitate appropriate referrals for women. For example, a 

national directory of programs serving women could be helpful. VA could 

create and distribute such a directory of GPD programs—with information 

on the number of beds available to women and children, the housing 

environment, and services offered—to help homeless coordinators make 

appropriate referrals for women.

• For more short term housing or when GPD beds are unavailable, VA 

should develop guidelines to ensure homeless coordinators have formal 

plans or processes to ensure homeless women veterans receive 

appropriate referrals. 
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 57 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 40

Recommendations for Executive Action

To better serve the needs of homeless women veterans with 

children, the Secretary of VA should examine ways to improve 

transitional housing services for homeless women veterans with 

children. For example, VA could:

• Establish or strengthen partnerships with community 

nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, 

and tribal organizations to increase transitional housing 

options for homeless women veterans with children— including those with older or multiple children. 

• Seek additional legislative authority from Congress to fund 

beds for children as part of its current spending on the Grant 

and Per Diem Program.
Appendix II: Briefing Slides 

Page 58 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Page 41

Recommendations for Executive Action

To ensure that women veterans are safely housed, the Secretary 

of VA should determine what gender-specific safety and security 

standards are needed for Grant and Per Diem programs, 

especially for those serving both women and men. 

• Such standards should be incorporated into Grant and Per 

Diem Program funding applications and annual program 

reviews.
Appendix III: Selected Federal Programs 

Serving Homeless Veterans 

Page 59 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Agency Program name Type of program 2011 Obligation 

VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program

Community-based transitional housing 

and/or supportive services

$217,639,000

Health Care for Homeless Veterans Outreach to homeless veterans and many 

programs, including contract housing

135,932,000

Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Residential rehabilitation and treatment 

services 

140,949,000

Compensated

Work

Therapy/Vocational Training

Job training and ongoing employment 

supports

52,788,000

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Community-based supportive services to 

prevent homelessness

50,560,000

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans

(1-877-4AID VET)

Homelessness prevention and assistance 3,000,000

HUD & VA HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Permanent housing with case management 

and supportive services

151,069,000 (VA – 

obligation for case 

management) 

50,000,000 (HUD – 

appropriation for 

rental assistance 

vouchers)

Source: VA Volume II Medical Programs and Information Technology Programs Congressional Submission FY 2012 Funding and FY 

2013 Advance Appropriations Request.

a

Note: These programs are listed as examples only. This table is not intended to provide a complete 

list of all federal programs available to homeless veterans. 

a

HUD-VASH appropriation based on Office of Housing Voucher Programs Implementation of 2011 

Appropriations Housing Choice Voucher Program. 

Appendix III: Selected Federal Programs 

Serving Homeless Veterans
Appendix IV: State-Level Data and Additional 

Information on Facilities for the Grant and Per 

Diem Program 

Page 60 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Table 3: State by State Data on Number of GPD Programs and Beds for Women Veterans

State 

a 

Total 

number of 

programs

Number of 

programs 

serving 

women

Number of 

programs 

serving 

women with 

childrenb

Total 

number 

of beds

Maximum 

number of 

beds for 

women

Number of 

beds 

exclusively 

for womenb

Number of 

beds for 

women with 

physical 

disabilitiesb

Number of 

beds for 

women with 

mental 

disabilitiesb

AK 2 1 * 50 30 * * * 

AL 5 0 0 62 0 0 0 0 

AR 1 0 0 40 0 0 0 0 

AZ 9 3 0 305 46 6 8 26

CA 100 28 8 2,833 707 404 139 319

CO 11 2 1 245 80 10 20 20

CT 16 2 1 157 13 0 2 13

DC 3 1 0 126 12 12 2 12

DE 1 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 

FL 46 15 3 903 149 52 29 97

GA 7 1 0 228 20 20 4 20

HI 1 0 0 98 0 0 0 0 

IA 6 2 1 97 19 0 * 2 

ID 5 3 1 55 23 2 20 23

IL 18 1 1 249 10 0 10 10

IN 9 3 1 226 85 30 6 75

KS 5 3 1 93 42 22 19 22

KY 10 1 * 224 16 * * * 

LA 13 3 1 342 20 12 7 12

MA 24 6 1 623 140 43 10 35

MD 10 2 0 388 14 4 10 10

ME 2 1 0 18 10 0 10 10

MI 10 5 1 348 80 42 42 46

MN 6 3 0 46 25 0 1 20

MO 8 0 0 208 0 0 0 0 

MS 3 1 0 80 12 12 12 12

MT 4 0 0 49 0 0 0 0 

NC 15 5 2 361 75 26 32 69

ND 1 1 0 48 5 5 5 5 

NE 5 3 0 60 30 0 20 30

NH 4 2 2 96 85 0 85 85

NJ 6 0 0 166 0 0 0 0 

Appendix IV: State-Level Data and Additional 

Information on Facilities for the Grant and 

Per Diem Program
Appendix IV: State-Level Data and Additional 

Information on Facilities for the Grant and Per 

Diem Program 

Page 61 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

State 

Total 

number of 

programs 

Number of 

programs 

serving 

women 

Number of 

programs 

serving 

women with 

childrenb

Total 

number 

of beds

Maximum 

number of 

beds for 

women

Number of 

beds 

exclusively 

for womenb

Number of 

beds for 

women with 

physical 

disabilitiesb

Number of 

beds for 

women with 

mental 

disabilitiesb

NM 4 2 1 90 10 10 2 10

NV 10 3 1 339 59 4 24 24

NY 28 11 2 936 128 53 18 32

OH 27 4 4 402 16 16 2 16

OK 4 1 0 62 6 2 * 6

OR 14 7 6 267 64 9 42 64

PA 31 8 1 562 100 38 46 83

Puerto Rico 2 1 1 21 2 0 2 2

RI 4 1 1 61 6 6 2 6

SC 11 4 2 263 42 19 10 35

SD 3 1 * 82 12 * * *

TN 16 5 1 331 34 15 28 30

TX 17 8 0 475 75 55 23 54

UT 11 5 4 173 60 0 13 60

VA 8 5 1 140 40 22 14 30

VT 4 2 0 62 43 0 23 23

WA 17 10 2 319 147 0 63 119

WI 13 * * 346 * * * *

WV 5 1 * 63 5 5 * *

WY 4 1 * 49 8 * * *

Total 599 178 52 13,882 2,605 956 805 1,567

Source: GAO analysis of survey data and VA data on GPD program. 

Note: We have incomplete information on those states fields marked with * due to nonresponses to 

our survey. 

a

The information in this table corresponds to the information in the pop-up boxes in the interactive 

map on page 26 of this report. The data on the number of beds for women with disabilities is not 

represented on the map. 

b

Numbers in this column are based entirely on our survey, because no relevant VA data were 

available. 
Appendix IV: State-Level Data and Additional 

Information on Facilities for the Grant and Per 

Diem Program 

Page 62 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Figure 1: Types of living arrangements in GPD programs

Note: In general, respondents who reported “other” living arrangements generally described having 

apartments or rental units. 
Appendix V: Characteristics of Veterans 

Identified by VA as Homeless 

Page 63 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Characteristic Female (N=3,328)a Male (N=49,373)a

Age 18-29 14.5 4.5

30-39 20.3 7.4

40-49 30.4 22.7

50-59 30.2 48.1

60-69 3.9 14.9

70-79 0.4 1.8

80 and older 0.2 0.5

Ethnicity Hispanic, white 6.3 5.9

Hispanic, black 1.3 1.1

American Indian or Alaskan 2.5 1.5

Black, not Hispanic 44.9 42.9

Asian 0.5 0.5

White, not Hispanic 41 46.3

Pacific Islander 0.8 0.4

Other 2.0 1.0

Marital status Married 7.6 7.6

Remarried 0.2 0.2

Widowed 3.2 4.0

Separated 14.7 13.3

Divorced 45.1 45.1

Never married 28.0 29.0

Military period of service Pre-WW II (11/18-11/41) 0 0 

WW II (12/41-12/46) 0.1 0.3

Pre-Korean (1/47-6/50) 0 0.2

Korean War (7/50/-1/55) 0.1 0.2

Between Korean and Vietnam Eras (2/55-7/64) 0.2 1.1

Vietnam Era (8/64-4/75) 3.9 11.6

Post-Vietnam (5/75-7/90) 20.5 36

Persian Gulf Period or after (8/90-present)—includes 

conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan

45.1 36.7

Veteran declined to answer 28.8 13.3

Employment status Employed 21.2 18.5

Unemployed 77.4 80.3

Childrena Veteran has dependent children 45.4 26.8

Veteran has legal custody of children 38.9 12.9

Children reside with veteran 33.4 8.1

Appendix V: Characteristics of Veterans 

Identified by VA as Homeless
Appendix V: Characteristics of Veterans 

Identified by VA as Homeless 

Page 64 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Characteristic Female (N=3,328)a Male (N=49,373)a

Homelessness data

Length of homelessness Not currently homeless 20.2 12.0

At least 1 night but less than 1 month 14.0 14.7

At least 1 month but less than 6 months 23.9 20.7

At least 6 months but less than 1 year 13.9 12.6

At least 1 year but less than 2 years 11.0 12.4

Two years or more 15.9 26.8

Number of homeless incidents 0 11.2 6.0

1 53.1 53.4

2 17.0 18.2

3 8.1 9.4

4 3.7 4.4

5 or more 5.6 8.0

Source: GAO analysis of VA data from Form X and HUD-VASH Referral Worksheet; information on children based on analysis of data 

from HUD-VASH Referral Worksheet only.

a

The number of males (49,373) and females (3,328) apply for all analysis with the exception of the 

analysis for “Dependent Children.” This analysis is based on 16,251 males and 1,592 females solely 

from HUD-VASH Referral Worksheets. 
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 65 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Appendix VI: Comments from the 

Department of Veterans Affairs 
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 66 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs

Page 67 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 68 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department 

of Veterans Affairs 

Page 69 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 
Appendix VII: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments

Page 70 GAO-12-182 Homeless Women Veterans 

Daniel Bertoni 202-512-7215 or bertonid@gao.gov

In addition to the contact named above, the following staff members 

made important contributions to this report: Melissa Emrey-Arras, 

Assistant Director; Nagla’a El-Hodiri, Analyst-in-Charge; Tarik Carter, 

Grace Cho, and Michelle Liberatore. Also, Walter Vance provided 

guidance on the study’s methodology; Hiwotte Amare, Melinda Cordero, 

John Mingus, and Ruben Montes de Oca provided data analysis; Sarah 

Cornetto and Sheila McCoy provided legal advice; Mimi Nguyen assisted 

with report graphics; Susan Aschoff provided writing assistance; Almeta 

Spencer provided administrative support; and Theresa Lo, Lise Levie, 

and Ken Stockbridge verified our findings.

Appendix VII: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

GAO Contact

Staff 

Acknowledgments

(131028)
The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation, and 

investigative arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its 

constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and 

accountability of the federal government for the American people. GAO 

examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and 

policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance 

to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. 

GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of 

accountability, integrity, and reliability.

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no 

cost is through GAO’s website (www.gao.gov). Each weekday afternoon, 

GAO posts on its website newly released reports, testimony, and 

correspondence. To have GAO e-mail you a list of newly posted products, 

go to www.gao.gov and select “E-mail Updates.”

The price of each GAO publication reflects GAO’s actual cost of 

production and distribution and depends on the number of pages in the 

publication and whether the publication is printed in color or black and 

white. Pricing and ordering information is posted on GAO’s website, 

http://www.gao.gov/ordering.htm. 

Place orders by calling (202) 512-6000, toll free (866) 801-7077, or 

TDD (202) 512-2537. 

Orders may be paid for using American Express, Discover Card, 

MasterCard, Visa, check, or money order. Call for additional information.

Connect with GAO on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Subscribe to our RSS Feeds or E-mail Updates. Listen to our Podcasts. 

Visit GAO on the web at www.gao.gov. 

Contact:

Website: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov

Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470

Ralph Dawn, Managing Director, dawnr@gao.gov, (202) 512-4400

U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7125

Washington, DC 20548

Chuck Young, Managing Director, youngc1@gao.gov, (202) 512-4800

U.S. Government Accountability Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 

Washington, DC 20548

GAO’s Mission

Obtaining Copies of 

GAO Reports and 

Testimony

Order by Phone

Connect with GAO

To Report Fraud, 

Waste, and Abuse in 

Federal Programs

Congressional 

Relations

Public Affairs

Please Print on Recycled Paper.