According to a report released in 2011 on Homeless Women Veterans by the GAO
HUD collected data on homeless women and homeless veterans but does not collect detailed information on homeless women veterans. Neither VA nor HUD collected data on the total number of homeless women veterans in the general population prior to these findings. Further, they lacked data on these women’s characteristics and needs on a national, state, and local level. Absent more complete data, VA did not have the information needed to plan services effectively, allocate grants to providers, and track progress toward its overall goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.
Homeless women veterans the VA interviewed cited safety concerns about GPD housing, and 9 of the 142 GPD programs they surveyed indicated that there had been reported incidents of sexual harassment or assault on women residents in the past five years.
While VA has taken steps, such as launching an outreach campaign to end homelessness among all veterans, it lacks sufficient data about the population and needs of women veterans to plan effectively for increases in their numbers as service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan. Further, without improved services, women—including those with children and those who have experienced military sexual trauma—remain at risk of homelessness and experiencing further abuse.
