The Road Home Season 3

Season 3 of NCHV’s The Road Home podcast is here! In Seasons 1 and 2 we explored traditional affordable housing development projects, and innovative short-term approaches, respectively, as the means to ending veteran homelessness. In Season 3 our focus will shift to examine housing justice as an integral piece of the effort to end veteran homelessness. Using an equity lens, we will explore how specific demographic characteristics impact an individual veteran’s ability to access affordable housing.

According to recently released data, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 11 percent between 2020 and 2022 and by 55 percent since 2010. The investments in evidence-based approaches made before and during the pandemic are working.

However, on any given night, roughly 33,000 veterans across the country are still experiencing homelessness and at least 1.4 million more are considered at risk of homelessness. The fundamental mismatch between the cost of housing and the ability to pay for it is ongoing and continues to grow. Current estimates identify a nationwide shortage of 7 million rental units that are affordable and available to households most at risk.

If we want to end homelessness for veterans, we need to create a path forward that works for the most vulnerable and repairs the harmful impacts of systemic inequities and institutional racism. And that is what we will talk about this season. We will discuss how specific demographic characteristics impact affordable housing access and delve into strategies and projects that mitigate those impacts. We hope you enjoy this important conversation.