Homeless female veterans face numerous challenges. They have a 4 times higher risk of homelessness than male veterans due to issues such as lack of income, affordable housing, mental health problems, and military sexual trauma. About 7% of the homeless veteran population, or 6,500-7,000 individuals, are women. The Centers for Women Veterans provide healthcare, benefits assistance, and other services to help homeless female veterans address their unique needs.

1. Homeless Women Veterans
Homeless
Female
Veterans

2. • The Veterans Administration defines homelessness as a situation whereby a
soldier has served in a war zone, now returned home and now has no place
of his/her own to live
• Homeless Veterans live on the streets in abandoned buildings, vehicles,
encampments, shelters, transitional housing, and it gets worse in rural areas
• 9% of homeless female Veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30, and
41% are between the ages of 31 and 50
• Some Veterans Administration doctors say the emotional trauma suffered in
war zones are both a cause and a consequence to homelessness
• Some Veterans experience a type of culture shock upon returning home
• Invisible wounds of war are sometimes easier for Veterans to cope with as
outcast to the society they served

3. Hard Facts on Homeless Female Veterans
• Women Veterans are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population
in the U.S.
• One out of every 10 homeless Veterans under the age of 45 is now a woman
• The risk of women Veterans becoming homeless is 4X greater than male
Veterans
• 1 in 5 women have told their Veterans Hospital healthcare provider that they
experienced military sexual trauma (MST)* while deployed
• 45% of homeless female Veterans suffer from mental illness including Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• 70% of homeless female Veterans suffer from alcohol/substance abuse
• Homeless female Veterans with little or no financial security for childcare can
end up loosing their children to protective services

4. Homeless Veteran Statistics
• The nations 1st comprehensive federal program called, "Opening Doors”
was introduced by the Obama Administration in 2009. Since then there has
been a 35% decline in homeless Veterans down to 47,725* in the U.S.
• In 2015 there were some 1.4+* million homeless female Veterans in the
U.S. which has been rising due to returning combat Veterans
• There are 6,500-7,000 (7%) female homeless War Veterans in the U.S.
which has doubled over the last 10 years
• Florida ranks 3rd in the nation in the number of homeless people and ranks
1st in numbers of homeless female and male Veterans
• Florida has 140,256+ female Veterans with 5,505+ of those Veterans being
homeless at any given time throughout the Sunshine State
• 400+ female Veterans are locally based throughout the Tampa Bay area

5. Causes of Homelessness
• Lack of income due to education
• Severe shortage of affordable housing
• Combat related issues mental or physical
• Anxiety disorder, poor health, disability
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
• Higher unemployment rates than non-veterans
• Military sexual trauma (MST)
• Mental health issues
• Alcohol/Substance abuse issues
• Weak or no social network
• Lack or slow of government, state and local
services

7.  Homelessness impacts an individual with extreme
sadness, fearfulness, hopelessness, lost of self-esteem,
substance abuse, behavioral problems, suicidal tendencies
 Homelessness can impact the family by increasing the likelihood of family
separation, stress on children, behavioral problems, violence, truancy,
fearfulness, emotional distress, trauma, malnutrition, neglect, sexual
molestation
 Homelessness can impact the community by costly upkeep of shelters, day
centers and community medical services, cost of panhandling to tax payers,
cost of high crime rates to neighborhoods, environmental impact on society
due to, trash, waste, etc.
Impact of Homelessness

8. Center for Women Veterans
Established by Congress in 1994
Program Mission
• Monitor and coordinate the Veterans Administrations’ health care and
benefits services programs for women Veterans
• Serve as an advocate for a cultural transformation (both within
Veterans Administration and in the general public) in recognizing the
service and contributions of women Veterans and women in the
military
• Raise awareness of the responsibility to treat women Veterans with
dignity and respect they have earned and deserve

9. Centers for Women Veterans (CWV)
Health Care Exams and Services:
• History and physical, including pelvic
exam and breast exam
• Menopause treatment including hormonal
therapy if appropriate
• Family planning and contraceptive care
• Infertility evaluation and referrals
• Maternity care referrals
• Assessment for heart disease, high blood
pressure and stroke risk
• Sexual trauma referrals
• Flu and other vaccines
• Social work referrals
• Medication therapy education
Screening for:
• High blood pressure
• Breast cancer or fibrocystic disease –
mammograms
• Cervical cancer – Pap test
• Colorectal cancer Osteoporosis
• High cholesterol
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Diabetes
• Nutrition and dietary needs
• Psychosocial issues that impact your
health

10. Centers for Women Veterans (CWV)
Specialty Services
• Gynecology Clinic
• Mental health services
• Breast care clinic
• Military sexual trauma (MST)
• Alcohol/Substance abuse services
• Trauma-specific services
• Parenting and child support
Services
• Healthcare
• Counseling
• Outreach and engagements
• Screening and assessments
• Resource coordination and
advocacy
• Crisis intervention
• Suicide counseling
• Mental health evaluation
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)

13. References
1. Department of Veteran Affairs (2015), No Veteran Should Be Without a Place to Call
Home, Retrieved March 20, 2016 from Website: http://www.va.gov/homeless/
2. National Coalition for the Homeless (2009), Homeless Veterans, Retrieved March 20,
2016 from Website: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/veterans.html
3. National Alliance to End Homelessness (2015), Ending Veteran Homelessness,
Resources for the Final Stretch, Retrieved March 20, 2016 from Website:
http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/ending-veteran-homelessness-
resources
4. Department of Veteran affairs (2015), Center for Women Veterans (CWV), Retrieved
March 20, 2016 from Website: http://www.va.gov/womenvet/cwv/index.asp
5. Politifact (2015), Obama says Veteran homelessness has been cut by a third,
Retrieved March 20, 2016 from website: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-
meter/statements/2015/jul/28/barack-obama/obama-says-veteran-homelessness-
has-been-cut-third/