Over 20% of Older Veterans in NJ Cost Burdened or Disabled

Examining the Housing and Services Needs of Veterans

The National Housing Conference and the Center for Housing Policy released a new report – Housing and Services of our Changing Veterans Population – that summarizes the unique housing needs of older Veterans especially those with disabilities, female Veterans with families, and post 9/11 Veterans who are housing cost burdened or experiencing homelessness.

According to the report:

• In New Jersey, 35% of households of Veterans ages 55 or older are housing cost burdened, and 31% of older Veterans have a disability.
• Across the U.S., 50% of female Veterans are housing cost burdened and tend to live in poverty compared to male veterans.
• 20% of female Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan living in the U.S. are diagnosed with post-traumatic disorders.

The report also provides some key recommendations to help address the housing need of all Veterans. These include:

• Conduct a needs assessment for the housing and service needs of current and future Veterans.
• Establish a rental housing office for Veterans within the VA.
• Expand the usage of low-income housing tax credits to include housing for female Veterans units.
• Advocate for change to local policies and regulations in high-cost rental markets with employment opportunities to help develop affordable housing units for Veterans.
• Provide additional project-based rental assistance for Veterans and improve implementation.

Click here to read the report.