After serving our country, no veteran should end up homeless

Claire Bendall is Stoll’s Director of Services. Here, she talks about how Local Authorities can help homeless veterans, and why that’s so vital.

Every day at Stoll, we hear about veterans who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, or – worse – are homeless.

Often, they’ve been sofa surfing or living in hostels – sometimes for months or years on end. Before that, many have slept rough on the streets, in cars, or in tents.

I can see the toll homelessness takes on them, and it never gets easier. Homelessness can be physically dangerous or even fatal. Almost always, it has devastating impacts on a person’s mental health. Many of those who come to us have lost their self-esteem and feel invisible to the rest of the world.

It’s truly heart-breaking to see the men and women who have done so much for our country, end up feeling like their existence means so little – especially considering the trauma many have already lived through during their service.

Among the veterans we meet, a breakdown in mental health is one of the most common reasons they’ve becomes homeless. In particular, we see the effects of PTSD – often years or decades after leaving the Forces.

Many veterans who need our support have also suffered life-changing injuries that can affect their ability to live fully independently. Add to this a relationship breakdown or loss of employment, and it’s not hard to see how someone finds themselves living on a knife-edge.

That’s what motivates us to do what we do. My team and I work hard to find veterans accommodation that suits their needs and where they can rebuild their futures – but with all the veterans experiencing homelessness today, we simply can’t house everyone who needs it.

As it stands, around 300 to 400 veterans become homeless every year, and at any one time, another 4,000 need urgent help to find appropriate housing. Sadly, with the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis still hitting the country hard, things are likely to get far worse. I don’t think we’ve seen the half of it yet.

Just recently, one of my team was working with a veteran who, after paying his bills each month, was left with only £123 to live off. Sadly, we see many others finding themselves in the same position – and it’s not hard to imagine that with barely enough to make ends meet, many more will be pushed to the brink of homelessness.

That’s why it’s so important that more is done to help veterans find and keep a stable home. Local Authorities can play a key role in helping to ensure veterans don’t become homeless in the first place – and to quickly rehouse them in suitable and affordable homes when they do.

This means always asking the ‘veteran question’ and identifying ex-Armed Forces personnel so they can get the housing and support they’re entitled to under the Armed Forces Covenant. It also means having an Armed Forces Champion who understands veterans’ wider needs and can connect them with the right services.

In addition to help finding a home, we know that many homeless veterans also need to be supported into a life where they are living and thriving, not just surviving. That can mean help with simple tasks like budgeting, shopping, and cooking – things that would have often been taken care of for them in the Forces.

It can also mean support with building and fostering relationships and networks of support. And of course, for those who need it, it means access to mental health services – particularly those that are tailored for veterans and their unique needs.

As the cornerstone of our communities, Local Authorities are at the heart of this support and help to find a home. That’s why, as part of a wider group of veterans and homelessness organisations, we’ve developed a toolkit for Local Authorities and housing providers to ensure they know how best to help veterans, and what their legal obligations are.

As part of this, we have training videos, templates and examples of best practice that can help housing teams develop their own systems and processes.

We’ve also developed a self-assessment tool, so housing staff can understand what they are already doing well, and where they can make their services work better for the veterans coming to them for help.

We’ve seen Local Authorities doing great things to help people who’ve left the Forces, so we know it’s possible – but right now, far too many veterans are falling through the net, and we can’t let this go on. It’s time to make sure we protect and care for our veterans just as they’ve done for us.