Timothy Pena initially traveled to NYC at the invitation of RIP Medical Debt founder and U.S. Navy Veteran Jerry Ashton to collaborate for his project, Veterans Mission Possible. Soon after arriving, Tim decided he would rather be homeless in NYC than commit suicide in Phoenix and spent five months in a violent, drug-infested shelter before obtaining his HUD/VASH voucher for supportive housing while detailing his journey from homeless to homeness with a series of articles called, 'Be the Story'. He has testified before the NYS Department of Veterans Affairs, is a member of the NYC Veterans Task Force and Military Veterans in Journalism, while founding The Forgotten Veteran non-profit. Email: Timothy Pena
Veteran homelessness increased by 7.4% in 2023
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) • December 17, 2023
Point-in-time data reveals the significant need for affordable housing among Veterans
"The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the results of the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the annual effort to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without permanent housing.
The data showed that on a single night in January 2023, there were 35,574 Veterans who experienced homelessness in the U.S. This reflects a 7.4% increase in the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness from 2022.
Despite these increases, there is still an overall downward trend in Veteran homelessness. The estimated number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by 52.0% since 2010. Within the last three years alone, there has been approximately a 4% overall reduction in Veteran homelessness."
What I've seen in NYC is a disconnect of access to resources that should be available to veterans experiencing homelessness and the providers delegated to provide those resources.
