Number of homeless veterans drops in New York amid calls for continued support

Since last year, homelessness among veterans saw a 7.4% spike nationwide. However, in New York, it appears to be leveling off, with the state presiding over 700 known cases, down from 1,098 in 2023. In order to further reduce homelessness, continued funding to community organizations remains vital to help servicemembers find permanent housing and increase awareness of their needs, advocates say.

According to advocates, most veterans face significant housing issues when newly discharged. They say veterans often find their needs sidelined and tokenized by elected officials, and many seek guidance from community-based organizations which are better equipped to help them transition into civilian life. 

According to Michael Matos, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who specialized in anti-terrorism operations, many veterans leave the military unprepared to navigate civilian housing or employment. Many struggle with mental health conditions and physical injuries and they are often unaware of vouchers or housing benefits that they’re entitled to – leaving servicemembers stranded and unable to adjust. 

“The whole understanding of, if I need to relocate somewhere, how do I do that, how do I find these organizations—none of that is known to them,” Matos said. 

“A lot of folks aren't prepared, and that's what leads to high rates of homelessness. I myself found housing hard considering I was going to school when I got out. A lot of landlords in New York City were looking for my tax returns on my GI bill (which doesn’t have them),” he added. “A lot of folks end up in shelters, it almost guarantees a pipeline.” 

Matos, who now lives in Brooklyn said that despite applying for numerous affordable housing units, he never heard back. 

Some veterans have been more fortunate. Mike Munoz, an Army veteran who enlisted shortly after the 9/11 attacks, served five years in active duty with two tours in Iraq. After leaving the service he was homeless during the pandemic. But he recently made it off a competitive wait list into a Mitchell-Lama affordable housing property in Midtown West, Manhattan. 

With city and state supervision, Mitchell-Lama properties provide affordable rental and cooperative housing to moderate and middle-income individuals and families.

Munoz credits his veteran status and job with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with giving him preference over applicants for the program.

“I stayed with families and on friends’ couches for a long time,” Munoz said. “When I couldn't find a job, it was on and off for years. Housing stability and food security was always my number one and two, because when you're trying to figure out where you're going to eat or stay at night, it's hard to do anything.” 

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand remains at the forefront of New York State’s veteran advocacy efforts, announcing nearly $44 million in federal grants FORtowards community organizations last month to tackle veteran homelessness. Despite polling low with some down state voters, SHESen. Gillibrand appears to retain a loyal base among veterans, AS THEY HAVE BEENwhom she’s made a mainstay of her platform since taking office in 2009.

In an effort to permanently reduce veteran homelessness, The Jericho Project, a local social service agency has received a $5,447,289 grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ for its “Supportive Services for Veteran Families” program. It offers direct financial assistance to veterans to negotiate contracts with landlords for quick housing placements.

“The goal is to place them in housing in 90 days or less,” said Tori Lyon, CEO of The Jericho Project. “We work with landlords and brokers throughout the city to identify apartments. Once we have a veteran enrolled who’s eligible, we can directly pay the landlord the first month's rent, the security deposit and the broker's fee. That really reduces a lot of barriers to having people languish in the shelter.”  

In addition to housing, The Jericho Project offers a package of wraparound services, including mental health support and employment benefit specialists to help veterans readjust to civilian life. 

“In my opinion, it's a very good deal for the landlord,” Lyon said. “They get basically the rent guaranteed for a certain number of months or even a couple years, and we also maintain relationships with the landlord. That's where the case management comes in.”

Lyon said veteran homelessness appears to be leveling off. As of this year, only about 700 individuals are among the nearly 80,000 homeless New Yorkers each night. Despite a decrease in the rate of homeless veterans, Mike Munoz, a member of the New York Young Republican Club, feels that veterans are often sidelined for the needs of other groups. 

“We were popular once, and now we're not,” he said. “I think the politicians are focused on migrants right now. Securing the border is important to me but then the focus falls off veterans. They say we’re not at war anymore, because these forever wars ‘ended.’ But we still have soldiers deployed. Politicians use veterans as a political football. They use us to get elected, and then they stop working for us.” 

This sentiment was echoed by Michael Matos, who in addition to feeling politically tokenized, found that the diversity of the veteran community was often mistaken for a monolith. 

“We represent all communities,” he said. “We come from all different backgrounds, and we're not just one side of one sort of perspective.  Our needs matter because they’re the needs of every community. Veterans represent the entire political spectrum on both sides.,” he said. “What unites us is that we chose to serve the [country] as a whole.”