REPORT TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

Committee on Veterans (2026)

Part 15: Women Veterans: Equal Access, Safety, and the Need for a Veterans Transitional Housing Program


Key Findings

Women represent one of the fastest-growing populations within the American veteran community. Women veterans have served in every aspect of the military, including combat operations, aviation, intelligence, law enforcement, medicine, engineering, and leadership positions. As the veteran population continues to change, housing programs must reflect the needs of all veterans requiring support after military service.

Despite this growth, New York City does not currently provide a dedicated Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) transitional housing program designed to serve women veterans, women veterans with children, or veteran families. The Borden Avenue Veterans' Residence, New York City's primary federally funded GPD transitional program, operates as a male-only congregate facility, leaving women veterans without access to the same veteran-specific transitional pathway available to men.

The lack of a women-inclusive GPD program creates barriers for veterans transitioning from homelessness, military service, incarceration, domestic violence, medical crisis, or economic instability into permanent housing.


Women Veterans and the Changing Veteran Population

The modern veteran population no longer reflects the outdated perception that veterans are primarily men. Women veterans return from military service facing many of the same challenges as male veterans, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, physical disabilities, employment challenges, housing instability, and difficulty navigating benefits.

Women veterans may also experience additional barriers involving military sexual trauma (MST), domestic violence histories, parenting responsibilities, privacy concerns, and safety considerations within congregate housing environments.

For many women, one of the first challenges is simply being recognized as a veteran and connected to appropriate veteran-specific services.

A system designed to end veteran homelessness must recognize the experiences of every veteran who served.


Lack of Equal Access to GPD Services

The VA Grant and Per Diem Program was not designed exclusively for male veterans. Its mission is to assist eligible veterans experiencing homelessness by providing structured housing and supportive services that lead toward independence.

Those services include:

  • VA healthcare coordination
  • Housing assistance
  • Benefits support
  • Employment preparation
  • Peer support
  • Permanent housing transition

However, because Borden Avenue functions as a male-only facility, women veterans in New York City do not have access to an equivalent veteran-focused GPD environment.

The result is a gap in services where male veterans may access a dedicated transitional veteran program, while women veterans may be redirected into the broader homeless services system rather than a comparable VA-centered model.


Safety, Privacy, and Trauma-Informed Services

A successful veterans transitional program must provide more than shelter. Recovery requires safety, stability, privacy, and trust.

For women veterans recovering from trauma, including MST or domestic violence, the environment itself becomes part of the recovery process. A program designed around veteran needs should provide access to appropriate healthcare, confidential services, secure living arrangements, and staff trained to understand veteran experiences.

A veteran who does not feel safe cannot fully focus on rebuilding their life.


Bellevue Veterans Transitional Program Proposal

The proposed conversion of the Bellevue Men's Shelter Intake Facility at 400 East 30th Street into a comprehensive Veterans Transitional Program would create a model serving:

  • Male veterans
  • Women veterans
  • Veterans with children
  • Veteran families

The proposal represents a restructuring of existing resources to create a veteran-centered recovery environment near the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The Bellevue location provides potential advantages through direct access to:

  • VA primary healthcare
  • Women's healthcare services
  • Mental health treatment
  • MST counseling
  • Specialty medical care
  • Benefits assistance
  • Transportation resources

The goal would be creating a true transitional program focused on recovery rather than maintaining a traditional shelter model.


Veteran Families and Long-Term Stability

Veteran homelessness affects more than individual veterans. It affects spouses, children, and families.

Women veterans who are also parents should not be forced to separate their identity as veterans from their responsibilities as caregivers. A family-inclusive transitional program would allow veterans to maintain family stability while accessing VA services, housing support, and employment resources.

Ending veteran homelessness requires recognizing that veterans come from different backgrounds and family situations.


Conclusion

Women veterans have earned the same access to housing, healthcare, recovery services, and opportunities as every person who served.

The absence of a women-inclusive VA Grant and Per Diem program in New York City represents a significant gap within the veteran support system. The question is not whether women veterans need these services; the need already exists. The question is whether the systems created to support veterans have adapted to serve the entire veteran population.

The proposed Bellevue Veterans Transitional Program provides an opportunity to create a safer, structured, recovery-focused environment where men, women, and veteran families can receive services near the VA healthcare system designed to support them.

The commitment made to veterans was never limited by gender. Programs created to fulfill that commitment should reflect every veteran who served.