In January 2023, approximately 35,574 veterans were experiencing homelessness in the U.S., marking a slight increase from 2022 but still showing a significant long-term decline since 2009. By January 2024, this number dropped to around 32,882
In 2025, the VA housed a record 51,936 homeless veterans, but the actual number experiencing homelessness is higher, with HUD's January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) count showing 32,882 veterans homeless on a single night, a figure representing a decline from prior years but still significant, with estimates suggesting the yearly total could be double the PIT count.
But they like to say there is an 7 % drop due to va homelessness programs but numbers cont lie they have escalated
Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance Message to Our Brothers and Sisters
In today’s uncertain world, many of our veterans live on the edge — one paycheck, one VA check, one unexpected emergency away from losing everything. Though VA benefits have increased over the years, they haven’t kept pace with the rising cost of living. For too many, stability feels like a distant dream.
As the political and economic landscapes shift, vital services for veterans are being reduced, outsourced, or eliminated entirely. The few programs that remain often struggle for funding or lack the understanding that veterans truly need — the kind that only comes from shared service and sacrifice.
Here at Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance, we understand. Our board and staff have all worn the uniform. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in arms — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Reserves, and National Guard. We remember the bond forged in service — that unbreakable code: We are one uniform. We’ve got your back.
When veterans talk to us, they don’t have to explain what it means to serve or to sacrifice. They know we’ve been there. They know we see them not as clients, but as family. Because to us, that’s what they are.
Many civilians may not fully grasp the complex emotions veterans carry home, nor the pride and pain etched into every salute. But we do. And we’re here — not just to listen, but to lift, to heal, and to remind every veteran that they are never alone.
At Heaven - Sent, we live by the same creed we carried through our service: We fight together. We stand together. We survive together. We honor together.
To our veterans, senior citizens, and disabled individuals — you are not forgotten. You are our family. We’ve got your six — always.
Veterans
In the years since the Founding Fathers put the concept of the United States to paper, military veterans have found that the promises made by government to its veterans are rarely met. The Veterans Administration is a wonderful creation and advises on its website that its mission is to fulfill the promise made by President Lincoln, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan." However, VA facilities across the country are understaffed and mired in red tape.
These shortcomings prevent veterans from receiving the care and treatment they need in a timely manner, at times putting their lives in danger. It is the desire of Heaven-Sent Disaster Relief and Veterans Outreach Inc. to assist the VA in keeping the promises made to our veterans. While veterans face the same trials and tribulations that every American faces, they are unlike the average American on the street. Their experiences sometimes include being placed in life threatening situations where they are shot at, wounded, see others killed or wounded, and at times have to take lives themselves. Often veterans come home from the military with mental, physical and emotional injuries that prevent them from transitioning back into civilian life. Statistics provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that 7% of U.S. Veterans have substance abuse disorders while almost 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, or depression. Each of these conditions has been linked to addictive behavior. Additionally, the divorce rates among military couples has reportedly risen by 42% among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the homeless population in the United States in 2018 was roughly 553,000.
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) estimates that 11% of the homeless population is made up of veterans, up from the 7.6% of the regular homeless population.
Recent data from 2023/2024 suggests figures around 342,000 to 486,000 living in RVs/vans full-time, plus significant numbers living in cars, especially among the unhoused, highlighting a growing trend driven by housing affordability crisis.
The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
It is estimated that the veteran population of the United States is 18.8 million with 6,083 being homeless and another 1.4 million in danger of being homeless. Fox News correspondent Chakraborty wrote in an article published on Aug 21, 2019 that the city of Los Angeles spent $619 million in 2018 in an effort to solve its homeless crisis. Instead, Los Angeles saw an increase in its homeless population of roughly 17%.
The homeless crisis is exacerbated by the threat to public health from the garbage, used syringes, and human waste found around their makeshift shelters. In the last year the state of California has advised of outbreaks of typhus, syphilis and hepatitis-A in cities with large homeless populations.