Veterans Initiative

An estimated 109,000 veterans are homeless in the United States. A growing number of veterans are also severely rentburdened, with an estimated 500,000 spending over 50% of their income on rent.

Veterans from the Vietnam War began to experience homelessness between 9 to 12 years after returning from combat. They now represent nearly 50% of the homeless veteran population. Deeply concerning is that Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have already begun to experience homelessness, with thousands already accessing VA homeless programs and countless more utilizing community homeless shelters and programs.

Women comprise 15% of today’s military, with 250,000 having already served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The issue of female homelessness is a growing problem, with women veterans being two to four times more likely to become homeless than non-veterans.

The Crisis of Homeless Veterans

In 2006 Jericho Project recognized the growing crisis of homelessness among our veterans—including the soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—and decided to proactively facedown this national tragedy.

This year Jericho Project is opening two LEED-environmentally-certified veterans supportive housing residences in the Bronx, which will provide a combined 132 studio apartments to homeless and low-income veterans.

Jericho’s veterans communities, the first in New York City in nearly 20 years, will provide on-site support services, multi-media centers and gardens in a community dedicated towards helping veterans heal from the wounds of war.

Jericho is also providing homes coupled with critical employment support to 50 homeless veterans and their families in all five New York City boroughs through its Veterans Supportive Apartment Program.

Read more about Jericho Project's Veterans Initiative here.