Understanding the Evolving Needs of America's Veterans
New information from across America shows who veterans are, how they're doing with health and jobs, and what they need
Why Houston Should Care
- For Helpers: Learn what veterans really need, not what we guess they need
- For City Leaders: Get facts about veteran health, jobs, and housing problems
- For Business Owners: Understand the skills veterans have and the help they need
- For Community Groups: See where veterans need more support
- For Veterans and Families: Know you're not alone and find help
A group called RAND Corporation just put out new information about veterans. Veterans are people who served in the military. This report tells us about their lives now that they're home. It looks at their health, their jobs, and how they're doing overall.
Why This Report Helps
- Brand new information from October 2025
- Shows what veterans need help with
- Compares different groups of veterans
- Helps people create better support programs
- Comes from a trusted research group
What the Report Looks At
The report studies three main things about veterans:
Who They Are: The report tells us how old veterans are, where they live, and when they served. This helps communities know which veterans are nearby and what they might need.
Their Health: It looks at mental health problems, whether veterans get help, and if the help works. Many veterans face tough feelings after serving.
Their Jobs: The report shows if veterans have jobs, what kind of work they do, and how much money they make. This tells us if veterans are doing okay after leaving the military.
The report pays extra attention to people who joined the military after September 11, 2001. These veterans are younger and sometimes have different needs than veterans who served long ago.
How Houston Can Use This Information
Houston has many military bases nearby. Lots of veterans live here. Here's how people in Houston can use this report:
- Groups That Help Veterans can check if their programs are helping with the right things
- Doctors and Hospitals can get ready to help veterans with mental health needs
- Job Training Programs can teach skills that help veterans get good jobs
- Housing Groups can understand why some veterans struggle to afford homes
- City Officials can make smart choices about how to help veterans
RAND looked at many big surveys from different places. They put all the information together to get the full picture. Using information from many places makes the facts more trustworthy.
Turning Information Into Help
Just reading facts doesn't help veterans. But when people use facts to make better programs and rules, it can really help. This RAND report gives us:
- Facts Everyone Can Agree On: When everyone uses the same facts, we can work together better
- Early Warnings: We can see new problems before they get really bad
- Ways to Measure Help: Groups can check if their programs are actually working
- Smart Spending: Facts show where money and help are needed most
- Better Rules: Leaders can make rules based on what really works
This report is part of a bigger project. RAND does lots of research to find ways to help people who served in the military.
Learn More and Take Action
Read the full report and find ways to support veterans in your community
READ THE REPORT MORE VETERAN RESEARCH