Report: Texas homeless veteran population rose in last year
A new federal report shows homelessness rose from 2022 to 2023 in Texas, particularly amongst the state's veteran population.
WASHINGTON D.C. (Nexstar) — A new federal report shows homelessness rose from 2022 to 2023 in Texas, particularly amongst the state's veteran population.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there was a 19% increase in Texas veterans experiencing homelessness in 2023 — one of the largest jumps nationwide.
HUD released its annual report in late December about Americans experiencing homelessness. Its findings estimated roughly 20 in every 10,000 Americans experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2023. HUD defines that as people sleeping in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, a safe haven program, or in places "not meant for human habitation."
Texas' overall rate of homelessness was lower than the national average, at about 9 in every 10,000 people.
Advocates say HUD's data, which was pulled from one single night in 2023, may be vastly underestimating the amount of Americans who are or were without a home at some point throughout the last year.
Eric Samuels, the president and CEO of the Texas Homeless Network, said the increased rates were not surprising.
"We've been warning about this for years," he said. "With the convenient housing crisis and the skyrocketing rents, the lack of federal intervention into that, and the lack of an adequate social safety net — these are all reasons that we're seeing these increases."
Samuels said he is concerned that even more Americans will continue to experience homelessness if these problems persist and get worse.
"Veterans become homeless for the same reasons that anybody becomes homeless. And the number one factor whenever you take everything else into account is the rising housing cost...until we have greater housing affordability, homelessness is likely to increase," he said.
The Texas Veterans Commission said veterans in particular are susceptible to becoming homeless due to factors like mental health and substance abuse challenges. The commission works with veterans to help offer resources like finding job opportunities and affordable housing for vets.
"This includes financial assistance for utilities, financial assistance for rent and mortgage, the sort of thing to kind of prevent homelessness from happening to begin with," said Jim Holbrook, a public affairs officer with the TVC.
Advocates like Holbrook and Samuels hope a focus on resources like housing vouchers and permanent supportive housing can help with prevention in the future.
"We have to we have to get some type of relief from this surging rental market, and allow people avenues to escape homelessness or prevent themselves from becoming homeless," Samuels said.
Nationally, the point-in-time count found the total number of veterans who experienced homelessness in 2023 was more than 35,000.