Every day, homeless veterans can be found on the streets and sidewalks of America, wrapped in despair, with some holding signs asking for money or food.
Once considered heroes, many of these veterans survived combat tours but later fell through the cracks of society when they returned home.
Their realm is often that of the forgotten, as addiction, illness, and mental health issues marginalize their numbers.
They are nearly twice as likely to take their own lives by hanging—about three times more likely to jump from heights and almost twice as likely to die from poisoning or overdose.
The VA believes that the solution requires two essential components: addressing housing needs and ensuring access to mental health care.
More than 40,000 homeless veterans received help from the VA in 2023 in locating housing and obtaining resources.
This guaranteed that, even among those veterans who experienced homelessness once more, approximately 96 percent of them remained in their homes.
“No veteran should ever experience the tragedy and indignity of homelessness. More than 46,000 formerly homeless veterans are going to sleep tonight in good, safe, stable homes—and there’s nothing more important than that,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement.
“While this is an important step forward, we’re not stopping here—we’re going to keep pushing until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they fought to defend.”
Cottages for the Homeless
Numerous communities throughout the United States have started tackling the issue of unsheltered veterans using unique strategies.Mayor Jerry Weiers, who has served four terms as a state representative, said that assisting veterans is his top priority.
The village will include on-site supportive services and administrative offices for VCP operations.
Arizona allocated $3.2 million in general funds for this $14 million project, while the city has invested $3.8 million in general fund resources toward the land cost.
Weiers, who has dedicated many hours to providing resources and support for veterans, believes the project is one solution to the city’s complex problem of veteran homelessness.
“Homelessness is a big issue across the country—across Arizona. It’s not just homelessness. It’s veterans who come back and are taught to go out and be independent, self-sufficient, part of a team,” Weiers told The Epoch Times.
“At the same time, you have to be careful. They try to merge back into civilian life, but it’s a different world. People struggle with that.”
The village in Glendale will feature both 240-square-foot cottages for individual veterans and 360-square-foot cottages for families of up to seven people.
“As veterans turn their lives around, many of these veterans have children,” Weiers said. “The courts will often allow the children to stay with them once they’ve proven security, safety, and stability.
“There’s nothing that can help veterans get their lives back together other than having family with them.”
Veterans are not required to pay rent or utilities, and they are allowed to keep the utensils when they leave, he said.
While the length of stay may vary from weeks to months, Weiers said each veteran must sign an agreement with VCP committing to improving their living situation and obtaining the necessary health care.
“The thing I love about this is they have everything you need to be able to live—shower, sink, toilet, bed, small kitchen—everything they need,” Weiers said.
“What we tell people is if you’re a veteran, and you served your country, we are not going to give hand-me-downs. You’re worth more than hand-me-downs—and I love that.
Building Out
The village project in Glendale marks the sixth community developed by VCP for homeless veterans.The nonprofit organization was founded in 2016 by a group of combat veterans aiming to assist their fellow veterans in overcoming the challenges of daily living.
VCP has collaborated to build 49 small housing units in Kansas City, Missouri, with 70 percent of the work carried out by volunteers.
Other projects include a 26-unit village in Longmont, Colorado; a 50-unit campus and outreach center in St. Louis, Missouri; a 25-unit village on two acres in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and a 40-unit village in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
VCP said that the village homes offer veterans a “sense of security and the opportunity to reintegrate into the community at their own pace.”
“Each home is pet-friendly and fully furnished with everything a veteran needs, from new furniture to dish towels.
“When the veteran is ready, VCP provides support in finding a long-term housing solution, which may include market-rate rentals, homeownership, or subsidized housing.
“Not only does the veteran take the entire contents of the tiny house with them, but they take the ongoing support of the village as well.”
VCP reported an 85-percent success rate in transitioning homeless veterans to long-term housing.
“We want to make sure we start something that we can continue,” Weiers said of the Glendale project. “I do not believe there will be an issue, but there is the ongoing yearly raising of funds” for operating costs.
Each year, it serves more than 11,000 veterans and their families through 46 residential and service sites in 14 locations across the United States.
The organization provides a range of services, including intervention, mental health support, career programs, and transitional housing.
Since 2001, USVets has helped more than 10,000 veterans access housing and various wrap-around services at its Phoenix location, known as Grand Veterans Village.
This site accommodates 152 veterans transitioning to permanent housing and offers 30 low-income rental units.
Each cabin is approximately 350 square feet and includes all utilities. The organization also provides assistance with finances, employment, and housing placement.
“There are so many people that want to make a difference in a veteran’s life, but they don’t know how to make it happen,” Weiers said.
Work In Progress
In 2022, Peace, Love, and Happiness Studios LLC, a private developer based in Dallas, launched a five-unit housing project for homeless veterans in Holbrook, the county seat of Navajo in east-central Arizona.City officials reported that the project has since stalled, leaving the units unfinished on a 0.2-acre parcel near downtown.
Richard Tissaw, the city’s building inspector and code enforcement officer, expressed his desire to see the project completed.
“We would like to see them finished,” he said. However, the city has not received any updates from the developer.
The Epoch Times contacted Peace, Love, and Happiness Studios for a comment and did not receive a response by publication time.
Marty Jarvey, an outreach worker with Fishers of Men for Veterans, told The Epoch Times that at least four homeless veterans have died from exposure to the cold this winter.
In Maricopa, Arizona’s largest county with 4.6 million residents, the city’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count found that 9,642 homeless individuals were present in 2023, 51 percent of them unsheltered.
Among this group, nearly 500 identified as homeless veterans.
A PIT count is an annual survey of homeless individuals in the United States conducted locally on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This project began in 2009.
Still, the agency added that these statistics reflect a five-year upward trend since 2018 when there were 6,298 homeless individuals.
The Maricopa County Point-in-Time Count for 2025 occurred on Jan. 28. The results are not available yet.
Weiers views cottage communities like the Glendale project as a part of the solution to end homelessness among veterans.
He said that resolving the crisis would take time.
“You cannot help every single one,” Weiers said, “but you can certainly try.”
