There is a homeless veterans epidemic in the U.S.

This Veterans Day, Truth in Accounting is focusing on the homeless veterans epidemic in America. Seven states have more than 1,000 homeless veterans, while California has a homeless veteran epidemic with over 10,000 homeless veterans. While the 50 state average has decreased by 49 percent since 2010, not enough is being done to help those who have defended our country. There are an estimated 40,056 homeless veterans living in the United States. Forty percent of these homeless veterans live in places “not suitable for human habitation.”

In 2018, California had 10,836 homeless veterans. This is 8,000 more homeless veterans than any other state. California’s homeless veteran population is 93 percent higher than the 50 state average, which is 740 homeless veterans per state. The state with the second most homeless veterans is Florida at 2,543, which is 76 percent less than California Since 2007 California has decreased its population of homeless veterans by 5,862, which is a 35 percent decrease. Overall, the number of homeless veterans across the 50 states decreased by 38 percent since 2007.

California is the most populated state and is home to the second-largest city in the United States, which could explain why the state has such a large population of homeless veterans. By these standards, Texas should have a larger population of homeless veterans as it is the second most populated state, but Texas has 1,593 homeless vets.

Here are some charities and nonprofits you can get involved with to help solve this problem.

We thank those who have served.