For direct online access to VA benefits and resources, create an account here.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 11 percent of the homeless population in the United States are, in fact, military veterans. They’re predominantly male (9 percent are female), single, live in cities, suffer from a mental illness, are struggling with substance abuse or another occurring disorder or condition.

There are also roughly 1.4 million veterans considered to be at risk of becoming homeless due to a number of factors, including poverty and a general lack of support networks. All of these statistics are troubling — but they can, thankfully, also be amended. Because there are systems, and programs in place.

If you’re a veteran who’s homeless, or at risk of being homeless, these places can help you avoid a fate that no one deserves.

Find the nearest VA medical center. By clicking here, you can find the one that’s closest to you. Once there, you can get the assistance you need.

Online chat. By clicking here, you can chat with a trained VA staff member.

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 1-877-4AID-VET The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more resources that are both related to the VA and not, click here.

If you have a medical issue, and are enrolled in VA care, you can securely message your health care team (and book appointments) by clicking here.