title: Characteristics and Likelihood of Ongoing Homelessness Among Unsheltered Veterans.
abstract: Unsheltered homelessness is an important phenomenon yet difficult to study due to lack of data. The Veterans Health Administration administers a universal homelessness screener, which identifies housing status for Veterans screening positive for homelessness.
  
  
  
  This study compared unsheltered and sheltered Veterans, assessed differences in rates of ongoing homelessness, and estimated a mixed-effect logistic regression model to examine the relationship between housing status and ongoing homelessness.
  
  
  
  Eleven percent of Veterans who screened positive for homelessness were unsheltered; 40% of those who rescreened were homeless six months later, compared with less than 20% of sheltered Veterans. Unsheltered Veterans were 2.7 times as likely to experience ongoing homelessness.
  
  
  
  Unsheltered Veterans differ from their sheltered counterparts-they are older, more likely to be male, less likely to have income-and may be good candidates for an intensive housing intervention. Future research will assess clinical characteristics and services utilization among this population.
authors.forename: Ann Elizabeth
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Dennis P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Culhane
mesh_terms: D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans; D058014:Veterans Health