Navigating Veteran Homelessness in San Diego

The purpose of this project is to validate the voices, experiences, and needs of homeless veterans in San Diego, California. I investigated how homeless veterans navigate and negotiate homelessness and related services in San Diego County. This study seeks to understand veteran homelessness in relation to San Diego military bases, government and non-governmental veteran organizations, and the types of funding that circulate through these institutions and spaces. This study utilized qualitative research methods to explore the following questions: What are the unmet needs of the homeless veteran population that are addressed (in)efficiently or not at all? What are the strengths and weaknesses of programs and services that seek to address veteran homelessness in San Diego? How do veterans engage with these services, if at all? This study utilized a phenomenological method to address research questions through individual narratives. For my data collection I conducted (13) face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The interviews demonstrate there is a multitude of state, city, military affiliated (such as Veteran Affairs), and community organizations (non-profits, churches, individual and philanthropic efforts) attempting to fill gaps of homeless needs and services provided. Participants provided their own direct and indirect evaluations of various programs and practices that they find troubling or helpful. Veteran’s discharge status played an essential role in determining their access to services as well as their comfortability and likelihood they would share their veteran status with others. Participants’ responses revealed different experiences with their veteran identity depending on their discharge status because it influenced their access to services and fear of judgement from others. I explore these varying understandings of “deserving” and “undeserving veteran status.” One of the most significant patterns that emerged was the organic homeless veteran community that circulated information about resources, news, politics, laws, and other services. There was a heightened sense of legitimacy if information came from another veteran. These channels of information played an instrumental role in determining what services the veterans would seek out and who they would trust. There is the potential that the results of this study can be used to educate lawmakers and other decision makers about best-practices concerning the dispersal of money and resources to veteran homelessness.