Status of Veteran Homelessness in North Carolina

In June 2015, Governor Pat McCrory announced a statewide initiative to address and end veteran homelessness in North Carolina. The announcement highlighted the initial steps being taken to create a statewide structure to coordinate and consolidate the important work already underway in several local areas, and to further identify support and resources to expand successful models to other parts of the state.

The 2016 Report on the Status of Veteran Homelessness in North Carolina documents the progress made through that work and the lessons learned so far. The report begins with an overview in the size of the homeless veteran population in North Carolina, which is followed by a review of their demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics.

Drawing on the work done so far in communities across the state, the report identifies six key steps for ending veteran homelessness that can inform further efforts to expand the state’s work toward ending veteran homelessness:

1. Identifying homeless veterans in the community through by-name lists
2. Building community-wide collaboration
3. Understanding the local service system
4. Accessing affordable housing
5. Ending chronic homelessness among veterans
6. Supporting veterans choice for housing

Additionally, the report included suggested policies and resources needed to continue to address and end veteran homelessness: