A Sharp Rise in Veteran Homelessness Exposes the Urgent Need for Housing, Healthcare, and Wraparound Support
A sharp rise in veteran homelessness combined with deteriorating mental health amongst former UK-based soldiers makes the call for wraparound services an urgent one indeed. Learn how the trauma of combat impacts soldiers who return home and, perhaps more importantly, those who return to learn they have no home at all.
In 2023, it was reported that veteran homelessness in England quietly rose 14%, reflecting a vast increase in homeless veteran households despite £8.8million of funding being thrown at the problem. Experts blame the disproportionate impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on vulnerable populations such as former military vets and their families. Thrust into devastating circumstances of poverty combined with housing insecurity and food insecurity, homeless veterans in the area are now subject to an equally detrimental issue – mental and physical health struggles.
“I’ve got shrapnel in my leg,” said homeless veteran Patrick Christys, who is currently sleeping rough on the solemn streets of London while battling mental illness. “I was ill, man. Post-traumatic stress disorder,” Christys continues in a brief interview with YouTube’s Michael Heaver.
Thousands of unsheltered veterans lay their heads to rest on slabs of concrete with nothing to silence the mental suffering they carry home from these forever wars. Christys suffers from debilitating physical and cognitive disabilities, a predicament that is becoming all too common among young soldiers.
Data suggests that soldiers deployed after 2001 experience an elevated risk for disabilities when compared to soldiers who fought in wars before that date. This alone has earmarked them for chronic and sometimes even immediate bouts of unsheltered homelessness.
Housing advocates say that soldiers upheld their end of the bargain, and the government reneged on its vow to protect and serve.
The Armed Forces Covenant is An Agreement By the UK Government to Protect Soldiers from Hardship
As per the language on the official Armed Forces government website, the Armed Forces Covenant promises, among other things, that “Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.”
Advocates proclaim that under this pledge, homeless veterans in England should be entitled to both housing and wraparound mental health services. Far too many of them are receiving neither of those basic necessities.
“Soldiers need far more support for disabilities than they are receiving, and this creates a massive barrier to housing for them,” explained mobile crisis supervisor Bruce Lockett in an exclusive interview with Invisible People. “There is this stigma that if they are homeless or if they are disabled or if they are suffering with addictions, that the fault is theirs. But it’s much more complex than that.”
“Systemic failures are happening at every turn,” Lockett continued. “The failure to provide mental health services before these individuals wind up on the streets, the failure to support them through avenues of employment and offer them safe, affordable housing, and above all, the failure to recognize them as human beings who are just as entitled to these things as anybody else.”
Studies Suggest That More than Half of England’s Veterans Have Physical or Mental Health Conditions
A 2024 survey conducted by the Office for Veterans Affairs and the Royal College of GPs showed staggering disability results for former soldiers. Of the 4,910 veteran participants, more than half had endured notable declines in their physical or mental health or both, which was a direct result of their time served in England’s military. This unique struggle can make returning to civilian life challenging, and housing is one of the biggest barriers to success.
The study also showed that many veterans are reluctant to seek help for their disabilities. This makes them more susceptible to things like homelessness, unemployment, depression, and even suicide. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer points out the fact that former soldiers appear more comfortable accepting mental health services from institutions that are veteran-friendly accredited and suggests that these kinds of crisis treatments should be made more widely available. In the meantime, it’s important to point out the crushing need for adequate, stable, and affordable housing, as homelessness itself can cause a myriad of mental health conditions.
Talk to Your Legislators About the Dire Need for Affordable Housing and Wraparound Services
There has been a severe uptick of disabilities across the board for veterans and non-veterans alike. Having a disability nearly doubles the likelihood of homelessness for people living in the United Kingdom.
If we don’t address the root cause of this problem, it will only continue to grow, and you will undoubtedly witness more veteran homelessness and homelessness in general. You might even be forced to experience the crisis firsthand.
Talk to your legislators about preventing this predicament by providing affordable housing and wraparound services to those in need and those who’ve served.
