Women veterans go through a lot of unique vulnerabilities and mental health needs. When women veterans are discharged from their active duty, the primary issue they face is homelessness, along with gender-specific safety measures. It is crucial for the providers of housing for female veterans to take care of the important steps to accommodate the women in the best possible way. Every veteran is our hero. They sacrificed everything to keep us safe and secure. They deserve our love, care, and respect.

Did you know? More than half of the homeless women veterans were sexually abused and assaulted during their active duty. Most of them exhibit mental health disabilities. Thus, women veterans need separate housing facilities and gender-based accommodations. There are a lot of programs and services that address the needs of sexually abused veterans. Still, the unique requirements of the homeless women veterans are so affected that it is often overlooked or excluded from the programs.

Unique Vulnerability in Women

Women veterans are highly likely to experience military sexual trauma. Numerous studies have reported that 20 to 50% of female veterans report that they were sexually assaulted during service. Did you know? Military sexual trauma (MST)can be highly traumatic and potentially much more disabling than sexual assault in civilian life. Women who go through military sexual trauma are nine times more likely to exhibit symptoms of PTSD than women in the military who were not assaulted. Therefore, it is extremely crucial to ensure housing for women veterans because they are also diagnosed with PTSD at a higher rate than the women in the military who don’t have such a history.

Need of Housing for Female Veterans

Veterans with sexual assault-related PTSD are anxious and distrustful of people who remind them of the perpetrators. Even though this is true for any other woman who went through any sort of sexual trauma, this is particularly problematic for women veterans. Because of the demographics of the veteran population, these women get services in environments that include predominantly male veterans, even though the MST-related PTSD is the result of the male service member perpetrators. Housing for female veterans that fails to offer gender-specific safety accommodations could further harm the already vulnerable population. Homeless women veterans cite the overwhelmingly male environment and concern for their safety and privacy. This is what makes gender-specific housing for female veterans crucial.

Generalizations

When it comes to housing for female veterans, there is a common generalization that must be addressed. As we already mentioned, women veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma are more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Also, they are much more likely to have severe mental illness like schizophrenia, along with comorbid substance abuse. Therefore, it is completely unfair to generalize the mental issues faced by female veterans with the traumatic events faced by civilians.

The Need for Safe & Secure Housing

Housing for female veterans should focus on the safety and security of the female veterans. They include segregated spaces for the females, adequate locks, and lighted exits. Apartment locations can also affect the perceptions of security and safety. For a woman veteran with MST-related PTSD, living in an apartment where she is feeling trapped or unable to escape might exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. Placements near accessible exits and wider hallways can help in reducing PTSD-related stress. Women with MST-related PTSD might also benefit from being placed in units with a line of sight to the entrances and exits, along with monitoring security personnel of surveillance systems.