For many reasons it is difficult to fully account for the actual number of homeless
(including veterans) in the US. Many sleep in their cars, in the woods, or other
hard to locate areas, and many veterans do not use VA / VA affiliated services.
The difficulty in accurately counting the homeless is compounded by the fact
that the numbers do not include those who are living with others due to economic
need or in motels due to lack of adequate housing. Furthermore, the definition of
homeless used often excludes many, including those who are in prison or jail and
those residing in permanent housing for the homeless. There is not a national
database to help track our homeless veterans. Most available statistics don't
include the many vets that are at risk of becoming homeless.

Approximately 1/3 of homeless adults (one out of every three) in this country
are veterans, yet veterans represent only 11% of the civilian population. On
any given night 154,000 - 300,000 veterans are homeless. Based on various
estimates, 500,000 - 840,000 veterans are homeless at some time during the
year. It has been estimated that Iraq & Afghanistan veterans represent 1.8%
of the homeless veteran population. In 2008, 44% of those surveyed reported
being homeless for the first time. This number was 37% in 2007. According
to the Department of Veterans Affairs the number of homeless Vietnam era
veterans exceeds the number of fatalities that occurred during the war.

According to recent studies, Florida ranks third in the nation in the number of
homeless people, yet has one of the highest numbers of homeless veterans.
The Florida Department of Children & Families determined that 17.3-18.4%
of Florida's homeless are veterans & the National Coalition for Homeless
Veterans (NCHV) reported the number to be 19,394. In 2005, roughly 3,000
new homeless vets were enrolled into Florida DVA homeless programs.
In 2008, the number of homeless vets in Florida on any given night was
19,000 according to local homeless coalitions.

Homeless Veterans