HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
1
Rural
Research
Brief
Photo Credit: Used with permission of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund,
"Portraits of Home: Veterans in Search of Shelter.”
Photographer: Stormi Greener
SPECIAL EDITION
HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL
.
Housing Our Heroes:
Veterans in Rural America
No veteran who has risked his or her
life to protect our homes should return
to find that they are not able have one
of their own. For their sacrifice, it is of
the utmost importance that we ensure
our veterans have access safe,
affordable, and secure housing. But
this imperative can be particularly
challenging in rural America.
Of the more than 22 million veterans
in the United States, approximately 5.6
million live in rural or small town
communities comprising 11 percent of
the adult rural population. While 21
percent of the population lives in rural
and small town America, one-quarter
of the nation’s veterans live in rural
communities.
Military service runs deep in rural
America. There are currently 3.1
million rural veterans enrolled in the
Veterans Administration (VA) system,
making up 36 percent of all VA
enrollees. i The VA also estimates
that youths from rural zip codes are
22 percent more likely to join the
army than those from urban areas or
cities. ii
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Housing our Heroes is the newest in a series of Rural
Research Briefs presenting data and findings from the
recently released Census and American Community
Survey (ACS).
This Rural Research Brief previews a larger more
comprehensive report on housing veterans in rural
America to be released in the coming months.
This special brief on rural veterans was made possible
by the generous support of
The Home Depot Foundation
.
Providing housing and needed
services for our
veterans can
be complicated
in rural areas
due to vast
geographies,
limited
resources, and
less social
service
infrastructure.
Source: HAC Tabulations of the 2007-2011 American Community Survey.
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
2
A Demographic Snapshot of Rural
Veterans
The overall demographic picture of
veterans will undergo major shifts in
the coming years. As two wars
overseas wind down, more veterans
will be coming home. Returning to
all parts of our nation, they will have
housing needs to be addressed. The
demographic changes associated
with the baby boom generation and
the overall graying of America will
also shape the veteran population.
This aging population will have its
own, unique challenges.
Rural veterans are slightly older than
veterans nationwide. Although 25.2
percent of veterans live in rural and
small town regions, 26.4 percent of
those aged 55 or older live in rural
regions. As Vietnam era veterans
begin to transition into older age, an
astounding 70 percent of rural
veterans will be over the age of 65 in
the next ten years.
Veterans aged 18-34 make up the
smallest portion of the rural and
small town veteran population and
they are more diverse than older
veterans. In general, white, nonHispanic individuals in rural and
small regions are more likely to be
veterans than minorities are and the
vast majority are males. Just over 12
percent of all rural white nonHispanic individuals are veterans
compared to 6.8 percent of all rural
and small town minorities. However,
94 percent of rural veterans 65 or
older are white non-Hispanic, while
79 percent of rural veterans between
the ages of 20 and 34 fall into that
category. The racial and ethnic
makeup for younger veterans is
much more reflective of rural
America’s diversity where
approximately 18 percent of the
population is minority.
Younger veterans are also more
likely to be female than older
veterans. Approximately 3 percent of
veterans ages 65 or older are
women, but approximately 19
percent of those between the ages
of 20 and 34 are women. The
diversity of rural veterans will only
continue to grow over time.
As Vietnam era
veterans begin to
transition into older
age, an astounding 70
percent of rural
veterans will be over
the age of 65 in the next
ten years.
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
3
FAST FACTS
11.4%
of rural adults are veterans
5.6 Million
veterans in rural America
Photo courtesy of Community Action Network
70%
of rural veterans served during or before the Vietnam
conflict
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
Rural Veterans and Their Homes
iii
Veterans often face unique and diverse housing issues.
Housing affordability, accessibility, homelessness, and aging in
place are all concerns of this particular population. These issues
can be further compounded in rural and small town areas. Vast
geographies, limited resources, and overextended social service
infrastructure can make it more difficult for veterans to access
needed services and amenities.
Rural veteran renters are twice as likely to be housing costburdened than homeowners – 37.7 percent of renters compared
to 18.8 percent of homeowners. Veteran renters over the age of
55 are more likely to be cost-burdened than their younger
counterparts. An astounding 47.6 percent of veteran renters
over age 55 are cost-burdened compared to 37.2 percent of
individuals in their 20s and 26.6 percent of those in their 30s.
Most veterans own their homes. Approximately 79.8 percent of
veterans nationally are homeowners. In rural areas, the veteran
homeownership rate is even higher at 83.3 percent. Rural
veterans are more likely to own their homes outright than
veterans nationally at 51.4 percent compared to 42.7 percent.
Although these relatively high homeownership rates are
partially attributed to the older average age of veterans, it may
also indicate a lack of affordable rental housing in many rural
communities.
Manufactured homes are more prevalent in rural areas than the
nation overall. An estimated 470,000 rural veterans reside in
manufactured or mobile homes. While twice as many rural
veterans live in manufactured homes than veterans nationally,
they are less likely to live in these homes than the rural
population as a whole.
Housing affordability has become the nation’s biggest housing
problem and many veterans find housing unaffordable.
Households who spend over 30 percent on their income on
housing costs are considered cost-burdened. Similar to national
characteristics, younger veterans are more likely to be costburdened than their older counterparts. Approximately 34
percent of rural veterans in their 20s, and 25 percent of veterans
in their 30s have affordability problems compared to 20.3
percent of their counterparts aged 55 and over.
Photo Credit: Used with permission of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund,
"Portraits of Home: Veterans in Search of Shelter.”
Photographer: Stormi Greener
ABOUT THE DATA
Unless otherwise noted, all data
presented in this Research Brief are
based on HAC tabulations of the 20072011 American Community Survey 5
year estimates and PUMS.
For more information on this Research
Brief contact the Housing Assistance
Council
[email protected]
202-842-8600
Source: HAC Tabulations of the 2007-2011 American Community Survey.
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
5
Veteran Homelessness in Rural Communities
Veterans are more likely to experience homelessness than non-veterans in rural America
Those who serve our nation should always be afforded a
safe, secure home, Yet many veterans experience
homelessness. Although only 9.6 percent of the national
population are veterans, veterans account for 13 percent
of the homeless population. iv Rural areas have fewer
homeless veterans than urban areas, but veterans often
make up a greater percentage of the rural homeless
population. In Kansas, a predominately rural state, more
than one of every three homeless individuals is a veteran.
In West Virginia, one in four homeless individuals is a
veteran. v Many veterans live with the lingering effects of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) further
complicating their ability to maintain safe, secure housing.
management and clinical services provided by the VA for
veterans experiencing homelessness. There has been a
significant decrease in homeless veterans as a result of the
program; however, certain unique barriers exist for rural
veterans. When seeking a voucher and choosing a location
to live, veterans must live within a reasonable distance
from a VA facility so that both the case manager and
Younger veterans, ages 18-30, and those most recently
leaving the military, are more likely to experience
homelessness than non-veterans of the same age.
Younger veterans are two times more likely to experience
homelessness than young non-veterans, and those living
in poverty are 3.7 times more likely to experience
homeless. vi This holds true across different geographies.
Nevertheless, relatively few homeless veterans are in this
youngest age category reflecting, at least in part, the
overall age structure of the population. Although older
veterans account for larger percentages of homeless
veterans, this could change as younger veterans age.
Rural female and minority veterans are at higher risk of
becoming homeless than their non-veteran counterparts
or white non-Hispanic male veterans. vii Suburban and rural
regions have a higher percentage of homeless female
veterans (10 percent) than urban regions (7 percent). Poor
African American and Native American veterans are twice
as likely as poor non-veteran African Americans and
Native Americans to be homeless. viii In 2010, a staggering
26 percent of African American and Native American
veterans living alone in poverty were homeless at some
point.ix Poor Hispanic/Latino veterans are three times as
likely to be homeless than Hispanic/Latino non-veterans
living in poverty, and 18 percent were homeless at some
point during 2010.
On Nov. 3, 2009, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric
Shinseki, announced a five-year VA plan to end
homelessness among veterans. Part of this effort includes
bolstering the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
Program (VASH). The program combines the HUD
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with case
Photo Credit: Used with permission of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund,
"Portraits of Home: Veterans in Search of Shelter.”
Photographer: Cathy ten Broeke
veteran can easily travel without any undue burden. While
this does not prohibit homeless rural veterans from using
VASH, it may require some who desire to live in more
remote, rural regions to relocate closer to a VA facility.
This may be difficult for homeless rural veterans who have
strong ties to their local areas, especially for those with
PTSD or other mental illnesses.
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
6
VETERAN CHARACTERISTICS BY LOCATION,
2011
Veteran Status*
Small Town & Rural
Suburban & Exurban
Urban
Total
Veteran Age *
Ages 18 to 34
Ages 35 to 54
Ages 55 to 64
Ages 65 to 74
Ages 75 Plus
Total
Veteran Race & Ethnicity*
Adults (Age 18 and Over)
Veterans
Total Adult Population
White Non-Hispanic Veterans
Minority Veterans
Total
Housing Tenure**
Occupied Units
Owner-Occupied
Renter-Occupied
Structure Type**
1-Unit Detached
1-Unit Attached
2-Units
3-4 Units
5-9 Units
10-19 Units
20-49 Units
50 Units or More
Manufactured Homes
Boats, RVs, Vans
Total
Housing Problems**
Lack Complete Plumbing
Lack Complete Kitchen
Lack Complete Telephone
Lack Access to Vehicle
Crowded-More than One Person Per Room
Total
Total Adult Population
49,130,894
109,563,135
72,727,958
231,421,987
%
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Veteran Population
5,592,463
11,421,282
5,201,558
22,215,303
Rural and Small Town
Number
%
370,896
6.6
1,332,866
23.8
1,477,199
26.4
1,176,758
21.0
1,234,744
22.1
5,592,463
United States
Number
1,732,384
5,754,865
5,565,339
4,311,181
4,851,534
22,215,303
Rural and Small Town
Number
%
5,592,463
11.4
49,130,894
100.0
United States
Number
22,215,303
231,421,987
4,950,292
642,171
5,592,463
88.5
11.5
17,977,821
4,237,482
22,215,303
Outside Metropolitan Areas
Veteran Occupied Housing Units
Number
%
3,903,347
3,250,034
83.3
653,313
16.7
United States
All Housing Units
Number
114,761,375
75,642,423
39,118,952
Outside Metropolitan Areas
Veteran Occupied Housing Units
Number
%
3,084,764
79.0
76,988
2.0
64,488
1.7
64,419
1.7
48,381
1.2
31,073
0.8
26,711
0.7
23,608
0.6
474,137
12.1
8,778
0.2
3,903,347
United States
All Housing Units
Number
72,481,110
6,752,336
4,222,354
4,918,347
5,289,365
4,891,227
3,829,934
5,349,539
6,918,004
109,159
114,761,375
Outside Metropolitan Areas
Veteran Occupied Housing Units
Number
%
27,663
0.7
33,214
0.9
88,947
2.3
117,056
3.0
51,173
1.3
3,903,347
United States
All Housing Units
Number
648,938
1,009,701
3,516,035
10,287,252
3,686,434
114,761,375
* HAC Tabulations of 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates. For Rural and Small Town Areas
** HAC Tabulations of 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates - Public Use Micro Data Set (PUMS). For Outside Metropolitan
Areas
%
11.4
10.4
7.2
9.6
%
7.8
25.9
25.1
19.4
21.8
%
9.6
100.0
80.9
19.1
%
65.9
34.1
%
63.2
5.9
3.7
4.3
4.6
4.3
3.3
4.7
6.0
0.1
%
0.6
0.9
3.1
9.0
3.2
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
7
RURAL VETERAN POPULATION BY STATE, 2011
State
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Total
Total Adult
Population
3,599,029
496,815
4,694,459
2,180,871
27,519,539
3,722,280
2,729,281
681,491
487,834
14,624,670
7,066,878
1,005,730
1,122,335
9,632,811
4,844,007
2,305,190
2,095,155
3,277,070
3,356,703
1,047,914
4,351,927
5,083,130
7,537,127
3,994,719
2,185,924
4,510,814
756,177
1,352,147
2,001,004
1,023,403
6,674,942
1,513,157
14,928,282
7,068,861
512,465
8,769,719
2,771,956
2,934,449
9,848,020
823,624
3,464,339
603,790
4,789,382
17,893,673
1,856,857
494,008
5,959,871
5,031,056
1,456,668
4,322,095
418,339
231,421,987
Total Veteran
Population
403,982
71,861
536,449
245,969
1,997,566
405,303
235,132
77,593
31,119
1,637,466
702,919
114,109
127,438
770,388
478,030
239,229
222,477
323,823
314,677
134,547
443,652
412,617
711,613
385,675
209,408
503,720
99,163
148,078
230,942
118,313
472,716
176,805
986,313
743,377
54,920
914,971
324,143
338,527
1,007,939
76,775
399,403
71,125
501,665
1,618,413
147,944
51,981
743,070
601,507
166,372
431,479
52,600
22,215,303
%
11.2
14.5
11.4
11.3
7.3
10.9
8.6
11.4
6.4
11.2
9.9
11.3
11.4
8.0
9.9
10.4
10.6
9.9
9.4
12.8
10.2
8.1
9.4
9.7
9.6
11.2
13.1
11.0
11.5
11.6
7.1
11.7
6.6
10.5
10.7
10.4
11.7
11.5
10.2
9.3
11.5
11.8
10.5
9.0
8.0
10.5
12.5
12.0
11.4
10.0
12.6
9.6
Adult
Population
1,229,366
246,321
893,075
1,107,399
2,200,575
659,316
162,770
157,145
0
1,251,499
1,789,329
324,548
466,138
1,559,749
1,327,754
1,196,330
956,180
1,646,029
1,087,179
553,626
341,278
187,081
1,501,495
1,294,793
1,370,442
1,546,730
535,176
630,132
236,748
398,955
107,892
620,855
1,599,059
2,242,769
291,261
1,985,957
1,246,019
909,896
1,882,144
17,787
1,013,072
390,522
1,520,349
3,206,206
331,637
349,238
1,202,438
842,050
759,730
1,439,921
314,934
49,130,894
Rural & Small Town
Veteran
Population
137,303
33,317
128,282
125,104
233,947
76,413
15,879
21,989
0
175,395
178,352
33,850
54,664
178,478
141,685
136,237
108,165
154,949
100,144
77,145
45,856
17,417
178,098
150,467
119,429
194,285
70,947
70,973
36,844
50,995
10,958
74,202
180,739
247,757
33,882
214,609
146,851
134,508
223,544
2,041
109,111
46,452
165,395
338,016
31,335
40,100
139,121
115,806
88,497
165,914
37,016
5,592,463
%
11.2
13.5
14.4
11.3
10.6
11.6
9.8
14.0
-14.0
10.0
10.4
11.7
11.4
10.7
11.4
11.3
9.4
9.2
13.9
13.4
9.3
11.9
11.6
8.7
12.6
13.3
11.3
15.6
12.8
10.2
12.0
11.3
11.0
11.6
10.8
11.8
14.8
11.9
11.5
10.8
11.9
10.9
10.5
9.4
11.5
11.6
13.8
11.6
11.5
11.8
11.4
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
8
The Housing Assistance Council
The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) is a national
nonprofit organization that supports affordable
housing efforts in rural areas of the United States.
HAC provides technical housing services, seed
money loans from a revolving fund, housing
program and policy assistance, and research and
information services. HAC is an equal opportunity
lender.
HAC
Rural
Research
Brief
1025 Vermont Avenue NW
Suite 606
Washington, DC 20005
202-842-8600
www.ruralhome.org
Photo Credit: Used with permission of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund,
"Portraits of Home: Veterans in Search of Shelter.”
Photographer: Stormi Greener
Southeast Office
600 W Peachtree St., N.W.
Suite 1500
Atlanta, GA 30308
Tel.: 404-892-4824
Fax: 404-892-1204
[email protected]
Midwest Office
10920 Ambassador Dr.
Suite 220
Kansas City, MO 64153
Tel.: 816-880-0400
Fax: 816-880-0500
[email protected]
Southwest Office
3939 San Pedro, N.E.
Suite C-7
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Tel.: 505-883-1003
Fax: 505-883-1005
[email protected]
Western Office
717 K Street
Suite 404
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel.: 916-706-1836
Fax: 916-706-1849
[email protected]
HAC RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF | November 2013
NOTES
i
United States Department of Rural Health. VHA Office of Rural Health. http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/about/index.asp
United States Department of Rural Health. VHA Office of Rural Health: What is Rural. http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/about/ruralveterans.asp
iii
Data on rural veteran housing characteristics derive from HAC tabulations of 2007-2011 American Community Survey Public Use
Microdata Sample (PUMS). Because of data limitations, these estimates refer to veteran populations outside of metropolitan areas,
not rural and small town communities as primarily used in this Brief.
iv
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. 2013. Veterans Background and Statistics. Available online at:
http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/.
v
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2012, The 2011 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Available
online: https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2011AHAr_Finalreport.pdf.
vi
Ibid.
vii
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2010. Veteran Homelessness: A Supplemental Report to the 2010 Annual
Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. Available online at:
http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/docs/2010_AHAR_Veterans_FINAL_10242011.pdf.
viii
Ibid.
ix
Ibid.
ii
9