LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new report says houselessness among veterans dropped to its lowest number on record.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress on Dec. 27, 2024.
It shows the number of veterans that are houseless is down both nationally and in Kentucky.
There is only one transitional housing facility in Kentucky that is strictly for women veterans and that’s Lady Veterans Connect in Winchester.
“It’s challenging at times, but rewarding when you change one life,” said Phyllis Abbott, Executive Director, Lady Veterans Connect.
Abbot said the nonprofit helps women find housing, clothing and more.
“It’s not maybe about the numbers that you change, it’s making sure you have at least one woman veteran at a time that you’re making a difference in,” she said.
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report shows women veterans experiencing homelessness were more likely to be found in unsheltered locations than their male counterparts by 12%.
“They don’t tend to even stay in a lot of shelters, they’ll be in an old car someplace, an abandoned building or couch surfing,” Abbott said.
On Friday, HUD released its 2024 Houselessness report. It shows veterans experiencing houselessness decreased by 8% nationally. In Kentucky, homeless veterans decreased by just over 6% from 2023.
“But 2024 does not breakdown how many of those are women veterans. In 2023, women veterans increased, substantially among the homeless population,” Abbott said.
That could be because their military trauma often goes unidentified or talked about, Abbott said.
“Broken relationships, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, at times, and just trauma they’ve experienced as being from one maybe one relationship to the next and they don’t have a stability in a life that they need,” she said.
Lady Veterans Connect is trying to bring some stability into those women’s lives with its large facility.
“Each lady has their own bedroom because we believe healing takes place better in a home environment. So, we try to keep ours as a family home environment,” said Abbott.
This year alone Abbott said Lady Veterans Connect has helped about 400 women through its programs.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it helped the largest number of veterans find housing since before the pandemic.
It said it helped nearly 48,000 veterans find permanent housing in 2024.