City Limits: The Mental Health and Housing Needs of Veterans Demand Immediate Action
- November 11, 2024
- •Health
“Veterans dealing with homelessness often struggle to connect with the specialized care they need. This creates a devastating cycle: untreated mental health issues make it harder to maintain housing, while housing instability makes it difficult to access mental health treatment.”
-Melissa O’Brien, Project Renewal’s medical director of psychiatric services
Our veterans didn’t hesitate when called to serve—and we shouldn’t hesitate to serve them now.
In New York, we’ve made important progress towards addressing homelessness among veterans. Since 2011, the city has reduced veteran homelessness by nearly 90 percent. But those who remain unhoused face some of the most intractable challenges, which often include complex mental health diagnoses and bureaucratic barriers to care.
Veterans’ needs can be significant and interconnected. At Project Renewal, we’ve observed that nearly half of our veteran participants require multiple services simultaneously, including housing and mental health care. Many struggle with severe psychiatric conditions exacerbated by substance use and medical issues, such as head injuries sustained in combat. An aging veteran population—over half of veterans in New York are 65 or older—brings new complications like dementia into the mix.
