How Can We Get Veterans the Help They Need?

By Tori Lyon, CEO — Jericho Project 

After serving their country, many veterans return home with less support than many people realize. The invisible weight of the transition from active service member to civilian life can be hard for some to bear. While it may seem as if public support for the men and women who serve our country is high, the systems designed to support veterans often fall short.

Many veterans are facing housing instability, a lack of mental health care resources, and barriers to employment despite their years of dedicated service. The siloed solutions offered within the support system available to veterans are often not enough to meet the immense need. These fragmented supports also often fail to be tailored to the unique needs of service members.

Addressing how to help veterans requires coordinated, community-based strategies that recognize both how complex the needs of veterans are and the urgency of meeting them.

The unique housing needs of veterans 

Veterans may experience homelessness differently from the general population. The transition from military service to civilian life can be fraught with questions about identity and their place in the world, struggles with mental health conditions, financial instability, and other challenges that can be compounded by the trauma they carry from their time in the service. All of these challenges can make maintaining steady employment challenging, increasing the risk of homelessness.

According to statistics from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, veterans make up roughly 5% of the overall homeless population and are disproportionately represented in urban areas. However, the issue is not just a lack of affordable housing; it’s about a lack of stable systems that address all of the underlying challenges that lead to homelessness in the first place.

For example, a veteran who is experiencing PTSD or substance abuse issues will likely have a difficult time maintaining stable housing without consistent medical and mental health care, access to counseling, and robust community support. When housing support systems integrate mental health care, community involvement, and social services, they are more likely to be successful in supporting the veteran community.

Helping veterans transition back to civilian life 

Stable housing is often the first step in getting veterans back on their feet and successfully moving back into civilian life. Many cities have begun testing permanent supportive housing models that combine housing support with wraparound services, including mental health counseling, case management, and job placement. These models offer a foundation for stable living that goes beyond the traditional shelter model or low-income housing without wrap-around services.

Supportive housing models that include other social services can not only be more successful in helping veterans transition to civilian life but also lower long-term public costs. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, taxpayers spend an average of $35,578 per year on services such as temporary shelters, emergency services, hospitals, and police — all of which are funded, in whole or in part, by the public. However, those costs are lowered by nearly 50% when someone experiencing homelessness is placed into supportive housing, which “costs on average $12,800, making the net savings roughly $4,800 per year.”

In addition, dignity and agency are restored through permanent housing models. Veterans are less likely to feel a disconnect between themselves and the civilian society they are working to reconnect with when their housing challenges are met. With supportive housing and services in place, veterans are better able to pursue long-term employment and meaningful connections with their community.

The need for community-based services 

While housing is a crucial step in helping veterans achieve independence and dignity, it alone is not enough to fully support their re-entry into society. Community-based services play a vital role in supporting veterans because they still need access to healthcare, employment, and benefits, just as the rest of the general population. However, access to those resources can often be laden with logistical barriers, especially in rural areas.

Localized, community-based service providers, nonprofits, and other supportive organizations can meet veterans where they are. The services these entities provide are typically more flexible, and many are run by former veterans who designed them for other veterans, so they are plugged in to the unique needs of that population. Veterans often respond better to people who have endured similar experiences, so peer-led services can foster trust and a sense of community and belonging, which can be transformative for veterans.

Services such as mobile health units, employment coaching that considers the skills veterans learned in the military, or mentorships can help veterans build upon the foundation that stable housing gave them to build a stable and fulfilling civilian life.

Support of veterans is a multifaceted system 

For veterans to feel fully supported when they come home, the systems in place must be multilayered and tailored to their unique needs. Policymakers, leaders in the social services space, and veteran support organizations must work together to invest in supportive housing, wrap-around services, and tangible, lasting assistance to help veterans reintegrate into society. Investing in supportive housing is one of the most meaningful ways we can help veterans successfully reintegrate into civilian life.

 

Tori Lyon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jericho Project, a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness through permanent supportive housing and comprehensive, person-centered services. She has been with the organization since 1996, joining as Director of Development before advancing to Associate Executive Director in 1999, Executive Director in 2005, and CEO in 2016. With more than 30 years of experience in the supportive housing sector, Lyon has led Jericho’s strategic planning, fundraising, housing, and program development, and executive management. Under her leadership, the organization has developed more than 550 units of permanent supportive housing, launched a nationally recognized Veterans Initiative, and significantly expanded its reach—more than quadrupling the number of people served since 2010. Prior to joining Jericho Project, Lyon served as Grants Manager at Bailey House, a supportive housing organization serving individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Her career has been defined by a commitment to evidence-based solutions that address homelessness at its roots while delivering measurable, long-term outcomes for individuals and families. Lyon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and is an active voice in coalitions and initiatives advancing supportive and affordable housing policy.