Characterization of veterans who contact the national call center for homeless veterans

The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV) is available 24 hours/7 days a week to connect Veterans experiencing homelessness or risk with information, referrals, and linkages to Veterans Affairs (VA) and community-based services. This study describes characteristics of call center contacts (n = 251 668) with Veterans during 2019-2023, including demographics, identified social needs, and contact outcomes. The majority of contacts were made by Veterans themselves (vs third party) and most frequently resulted in NCCHV referring the Veteran to their local VA Medical Center; most Veterans who contacted NCCHV had previously used VA healthcare. This study offers insights into which Veterans may need additional attention to connect to VA care and those who remain at high risk of housing instability after connecting with VA. Future work should assess how Veterans are linked with care, with the goal of improving the response to Veterans' needs and guide strategies to prevent homelessness.