Skip to Content
  1. Home

Vets to VenturesSubscribe to our Vets to Ventures Newsletter

I have had the honor over the last year observing my colleagues as they author informative articles through our “Vets to Ventures” series, assisting our veterans as they return from service. In this season of giving and new beginnings, I want to raise awareness of an issue that is disproportionately affecting veterans, and one that I unfortunately have a front row seat to through my pro bono work – homelessness.

This article is for our veterans and peer attorneys. For veterans, you are not alone. There are resources that can help and that are working to reduce the homeless problem, and we will address those organizations. For peer attorneys – in the spirit of helping those in need – I want to point out many opportunities to provide pro bono assistance to veterans facing homelessness.

Raising Awareness – More Than 35,000 Veterans are Homeless

More than 35,000 veterans are experiencing homelessness in the United States, a rate of 22 out of every 10,000 veterans. This is higher than the rate of nonveterans (20 out of every 10,000). These statistics are according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a recent article by Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit association assisting veterans.

Several factors contribute to why veterans experience homelessness:

  • Mental Health: Military service can expose individuals to traumatic experiences, leading to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. These conditions can hinder the ability for veterans to maintain housing and employment.  
  • Substance Abuse: Veterans may turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with trauma, leading to addiction and further destabilizing their lives.  
  • Lack of Support: Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging, and veterans may lack social support systems to help them navigate. Difficulties can range from navigating the VA healthcare system to finding affordable housing to landing a job. 
  • Economic Difficulties: Veterans may struggle to find employment, especially if they have disabilities or lack relevant civilian job skills.
  • Medical Issues: Military service can result in physical injuries or chronic health conditions that limit employment opportunities and increase healthcare costs.  
  • Legal Issues: Some veterans may encounter legal problems, such as arrests or incarceration, which can disrupt their lives and make it difficult to secure housing.  

Veterans can experience any number of these problems – that often compound – and the situation places them on the brink of homelessness. But there is hope and there is help.

‘Beacon’ of Hope

Before joining Adams and Reese, I worked for four years as a paralegal with Beacon Law, a program of The Beacon, a Houston, Texas-based nonprofit that serves homeless through civil legal aid, counseling, mentoring, and housing case management. Approximately 90% of America’s civil legal aid need goes unmet, but that’s not the case with Beacon Law as volunteers and staff help meet the legal needs of Houston's homeless.

My relationship with Beacon Law has continued at Adams and Reese as I provide pro bono services to Houston veterans facing homelessness issues. This legal assistance can range from veterans who are unable to pay rent and facing evictions – representing them in court and/or negotiating with landlords and property owners – to assisting veterans in need of license and ID restoration. Many veterans find themselves in sticky situations when they lack proper ID, or legal documentation like a driver’s license or birth certificate, because those papers are required to access many services and programs that they may need for assistance. Beacon Law also assists the homeless with family law issues, wills and estates, and expunctions and non-disclosures.

A major part of the pro bono work is developing relationships with veterans to partner with them on their journey to reintegrate into the workforce, helping get their lives back and track, discarding bad habits, and staying consistent. Our veterans have given us so much through their service that they deserve the help of attorneys in any capacity that we can deliver.

There are many pro bono and veteran assistance programs and organizations across the nation, in addition to Beacon Law. For example, across our Adams and Reese footprint, there are Project H.E.L.P. (Homeless Experience Legal Protection) locations in Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Columbia, Jackson, Miami, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, and Tampa; Legal Services Alabama; Legal Aid of North Carolina; Lone Star Legal Aid; Mississippi Center for Legal Services; Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands; among others.

Here are some resources for veterans experiencing homelessness situations, in any capacity:

In 2023, the VA housed more than 46,000 veterans, expanded health care access, legal assistance, and helped more than 145,000 veterans and families avoid foreclosure. That work has continued. In March 2024, the VA announced goals to end homelessness:

  • Place at least 41,000 veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.
  • Ensure at least 95% of the veterans housed in FY 2024 do not return to homelessness.
  • Engage with 40,000 unsheltered veterans to obtain housing and wraparound services.

“Whenever we get into contact with a homeless Veteran, our priority is to get them into the housing they deserve,” said VA Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher. “Then we work to provide them with the tools they need to stay housed – including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.  We will not rest until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they swore to defend.”

Conclusion

To veterans: there are many resources and active efforts ready to help you. Don’t let legal problems snowball. To attorneys: the holiday season is the perfect time to give back. Veterans face challenges and legal issues can be a major hurdle to their return to civilian life.

By volunteering your time and expertise, you can directly assist veterans in navigating legal roadblocks. These seemingly small acts can have a life-changing impact on a veteran's journey to stability. Together, we can help them break the cycle of homelessness and build a brighter future. We all have a role to play in supporting these initiatives and ensuring that every veteran has access to the resources they need to find a safe and stable home.

About Our Author

Steven Moritz is a member of the Adams and Reese Litigation Practice Group in the Houston office. In addition to his litigation practice, Steven is heavily involved in the Houston community, providing pro bono services for homeless veterans for The Beacon, and sitting on the Executive Committee of the Houston Young Professional Board for the Special Olympics.

Adams and Reese Vets to Ventures Series

For Our Veterans, by Our Veterans - Adams and Reese is proud to feature a monthly series of informative articles addressing hot topics of legal interest for service members
transitioning back to the private sector.

Related Knowledge