When we see veterans struggle to adapt to civilian life after leaving the Armed Forces, we know that a safe place to live and call home is one of the most vital foundations in getting them back on their feet.
Although most veterans make a smooth transition from military to civilian life, devastatingly, since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the number of homeless veterans seeking help. With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, we predict this is going to get much worse.
Recent research conducted alongside 11 other leading charities revealed that since March 2020, some have seen a 50% jump in veterans who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness coming to them for support. Many are also seeing a growing number of people with mental health issues, particularly PTSD and depression.
Every year around 300 to 400 Armed Forces veterans end up homeless, and at any one time up to 4,000 require urgent support to find accommodation. When veterans return to civilian life, the least we can do is support them to find a safe place to rebuild their lives.
It’s unacceptable that every year thousands of veterans end up sleeping rough, sofa surfing or living in unsuitable hostels. They slip through the net and are unable to access the support they urgently need.
But the solution is simple. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that people who’ve served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. Despite the firm commitments the Covenant sets out, we still see too many veterans struggling to get access to housing support.
That’s why, as part of the Cobseo (Confederation of Service Charities) Housing Cluster, we’ve joined together with other organisations for the No Homeless Veterans Campaign. We’re renewing our efforts to equip local authorities and housing providers to ‘think veteran’ with a range of free toolkits and training. It’s vital that when someone needs help with housing, they are asked whether they’ve served in the Forces. If they have, this should be recorded. Once identified, they can be directed towards support that’s available.
We know that many local authorities do ask the veteran question, but not all have a sufficiently robust system in place to identify them. Local authorities must have clearly labelled information on their website that is easily accessible for veterans, so they can be directed to the best place for advice and support.
When a veteran is identified, it’s paramount that local authorities work with key partners to meet that person’s housing needs. One way they can do this is by referring the veteran to the Veterans’ Gateway. The specialist housing advice provided by the Gateway will put them in touch with the right organisation to help them. Many of the team are veterans themselves, so they know and understand the issues that ex-Service personnel can face.
The local authorities that are successful in identifying and supporting veterans usually have an ‘Armed Forces Champion’. This is a member of staff appointed to be the first point of contact for veterans in the local area. This person should be clearly identifiable to the public and ensure that the needs of the Armed Forces community in their local area are met.
With the help of Homeless Link, we’re developing a downloadable toolkit for local authorities, housing associations and supported housing providers, to help them better identify veterans and meet the housing and support needs of veterans and their families. By completing a self-audit, local authorities will have a sense of how well they are currently doing. The toolkit then provides detailed information on statutory requirements, guidance on ways to improve, and examples of best practice and innovation.
We believe that with a coordinated approach, we can work together to end veterans’ homelessness for good.
Local authorities can sign up now to receive a toolkit and to be sent details of free online training sessions: https://www.stoll.org.uk/no-homeless-veterans/resources/
Richard Gammage is chief executive of Stoll
