NYHealth Submits Testimony to New York City Council Committee on Veterans and Committee on General Welfare Oversight: Veterans Homelessness in New York City

Testimony of Derek Coy
Senior Program Officer, Veterans' Health
New York Health Foundation

Submitted to the New York City Council
Committee on Veterans
and Committee on General Welfare
Oversight: Veterans Homelessness in New York City

October 21, 2026

Thank you, Chair Morano, Chair Hudson, and members of the committees, for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth).

NYHealth is a private, independent, statewide foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers, including the approximately 120,000 veterans who call New York City home, as well as their families and caregivers. I am also a proud veteran, having served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

For more than 15 years, NYHealth has worked to understand and meet the health needs of New York's veterans, with a particular focus on mental health and suicide prevention. We do this through grantmaking, policy analysis, advocacy, research, and convenings. We have identified service gaps and developed community-based programs that meet veterans and their families where they are. We have also partnered closely with City agencies and nonprofit organizations to expand access to high-quality, culturally competent mental health care and support.

We appreciate the committees' efforts to address the needs of veterans facing homelessness and other challenges. To inform the committees' work, we are sharing data, research, and recommended approaches and opportunities to better support this population.

Veteran Homelessness in New York City

New York City has made significant strides in reducing veteran homelessness, but recent trends underscore the need for continued attention and investment. Between 2011 and 2022, the number of veterans in New York City experiencing homelessness dropped from 4,677 to a historic low of 482-a nearly 90% reduction. However, in recent years, that progress has begun to reverse. 1 By 2024, veteran homelessness had climbed nearly 30% in just two years to 624 individuals, signaling a troubling shift after more than a decade of sustained improvement. 2

Veteran Homelessness and Suicide Risk

The City's veteran population is at high risk of dying by suicide, and homelessness exacerbates that risk.

New research from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) demonstrates how overlapping social and economic disadvantages can compound suicide risk among veterans. From 2001 to 2024, suicide rates among recent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients experiencing homelessness were consistently higher than among those with housing. In 2024, the suicide rate among veterans experiencing homelessness was 118.5% higher than among those with housing.

The VA research also found that veterans experiencing the highest levels of cumulative social disadvantage-including financial strain, unemployment, limited access to health care, neighborhood disadvantage, the digital divide, firearm access, and trauma exposure-were 20 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviors than those experiencing the least disadvantage. 3 Unpublished research conducted by Purdue University and shared with the New York State Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) provides a county-level assessment of veteran suicide risk in New York State using many of these same social risk factors.

Another published study confirms the same dynamic. Analyzing data from more than 4,000 U.S. veterans, researchers found that those experiencing the greatest cumulative hardships-including homelessness, financial insecurity, unemployment, limited health care access, and trauma-were more than 20 times as likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviors as those facing the least disadvantage. The association was even stronger among veterans with a history of mental health conditions. 4

Furthermore, patterns of veteran homelessness also differ by gender. Women are the fastest-growing demographic in the veteran community. At the same time, documented cases of homelessness were greater for female veterans who died by suicide compared to male veterans. 5 , 6 These findings reinforce the importance of addressing the social and economic drivers of veteran suicide.

Recommendations

Efforts to address veteran homelessness should also prioritize suicide prevention through high-quality, comprehensive services that support veterans' long-term health and housing stability. To strengthen support and services for veterans experiencing homelessness in New York City, we offer the following recommendations:

• Expand and Embed Suicide Prevention Across Mental Health and Social Service Programs. Improve suicide prevention efforts across the City's veteran programs by incorporating routine mental health and suicide risk screening, referral pathways, and follow-up services, particularly in outreach to veterans experiencing homelessness. The New York City Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) should work with the VA, NYC Health + Hospitals, and community-based providers to ensure that veterans experiencing homelessness can access timely mental health care, regardless of their VA eligibility or enrollment status. These coordinated services should address the interconnected challenges of homelessness and suicide risk among veterans.

• Expand Peer Mentorship for Mental Health. Enhance peer mentorship programs that connect veterans experiencing homelessness or housing instability with other veterans who have navigated similar challenges. Peer mentors can help reduce social isolation, build trust, and connect veterans to housing assistance, mental health care, benefits, and other essential services. The City should work with veteran-serving organizations to expand access to trained peer mentors, particularly for veterans facing overlapping challenges such as financial instability, unemployment, and mental health conditions.

• Improve Data Collection to Identify Veterans at Greatest Risk. Strengthen the collection and reporting of data on veteran homelessness, suicide risk, and related social and economic challenges to better inform prevention efforts. DVS and DHS should work with City health agencies to better understand how housing instability intersects with mental health, substance use, employment, and other risk factors. Where feasible, data should be disaggregated by age, race and ethnicity, sex, and borough to identify disparities and guide targeted outreach, resource allocation, and service delivery, with appropriate privacy safeguards.

Conclusion

NYHealth commends New York City's efforts to meet the needs of veterans experiencing homelessness. The City can and should build on its existing veteran services infrastructure to better connect veterans with the resources they need to achieve long-term housing stability. By integrating suicide prevention into efforts to prevent and end veteran homelessness, the City can better support veterans before they experience a crisis.

We appreciate and share the Council's commitment to New York City's veterans. I hope you will look to the New York Health Foundation as a partner and resource for this work. You can learn about our veterans' health work by visiting our website, www.nyhealthfoundation.org .

Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I look forward to answering any questions.