Recent research has focused on risk factors for Veteran housing instability and programmatic responses. However, little is known about Veterans’ experiences of becoming unstably housed and navigating available resources to resolve housing crises. This qualitative paper, based on open-ended interviews with Veterans (n = 60), presents the Journey to Home conceptual model, which offers a framework for understanding Veterans’ journeys through housing instability, including the factors that contribute to vulnerability, the range of housing conditions that Veterans describe as inadequate, how Veterans connect to assistance through VA and community providers, and barriers and facilitators to connecting with and using available assistance, resulting in either continued housing instability or successful housing outcomes. Ongoing efforts to end Veteran homelessness should prioritize strategies that respond to complex vulnerabilities.
