Strengthening Our Military Through Veteran Housing on Active Bases

Now more than ever, the United States needs a gold-standard program for building affordable housing for veterans on active bases that house our freedom fighters. This common-sense effort needs the President’s and our entire country’s commitment: at least one housing community for veterans and military families on every base where residential development is appropriate, or a connected nearby option where on-base housing is impractical.

The purpose is to create a stronger military through better support for our freedom fighters, with the goal of reducing mental health challenges among serving personnel and veterans. Secure homes, dependable services, and relationships between generations can create a foundation for upbeat morale and well-being. Social interaction among military personnel and veterans could encourage mentorship through shared stories and knowledge about obstacles that veterans may already have overcome. This common-sense approach deserves a sustained national effort—or at least a conversation!

Affordable Housing for Veterans Is Part of Military Well-Being

The January 2024 national count identified 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness, including 13,851 living unsheltered. Veteran homelessness had fallen by 55.6 percent since 2010. That is meaningful progress, but thousands still lacked a secure home. These figures are a historical single-night estimate, not a count of everyone who experienced homelessness that year.

Mental health must be at the center of this discussion for serving personnel and veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) identifies housing instability and homelessness as risk factors relevant to suicide prevention. Its research summary describes increased risks of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and death among veterans with a lifetime history of homelessness. Housing instability and suicide risk also share factors such as mental illness, isolation, and unemployment. These relationships make stable housing important, but they do not prove that a particular housing development prevents suicide. A sense of belonging among peers should also be central to the proposal.

Military Base Housing for Veterans: A Precedent to Build On

At Fort Campbell, Campbell Crossing provides on-post privatized housing and welcomes qualified retirees alongside eligible military households. Its 2026 Army Tenant Satisfaction Survey results reported overall satisfaction of 80.3, up 4.6 points from 2025; property satisfaction of 74.8, up 4.6 points; and service satisfaction of 84.0, up 4.0 points. More than 1,200 families responded.

The housing provider attributed these improvements to work on maintenance, communication, home condition, and neighborhood appearance. These results are encouraging, but they do not establish that bringing retirees and active-duty families together improves morale. A funded pilot could help test that idea.

Connect Retired Veterans With Those Serving Today

Where appropriate, I want these communities to offer retired veterans and active-duty personnel opportunities to live alongside one another. To use a simple sports analogy, experienced teammates can offer perspective and encouragement to younger players. Retired veterans could offer similar mentorship through a voluntary, supported program, while serving personnel could bring a renewed connection to military life.

Shared lounges, outdoor tables, family activities, and voluntary mentorship could encourage those relationships. The intended benefits are belonging, mutual support, and stronger morale. We need to start a funded pilot program immediately. We cannot sit on the sidelines any longer while members of America’s military community struggle with PTSD or homelessness on our own home soil after serving and putting their lives on the line for all of us!

A Veteran Housing Community Connected to Each Base

My message to our great nation and the President is simple: make at least one affordable community on each suitable military base the long-term national goal, or nearby where land, security, mission needs, or demand make that more practical.

Begin with a funded pilot. Each location should establish its housing needs and eligible resident mix, informed by local statistics, before deciding the development’s size. Qualified local developers and nonprofits should be invited to be part of this great cause—including me!

The intended connection to military strength is practical. More secure housing could ease family financial pressure. Dependable services could improve access to support. Voluntary mentorship could strengthen belonging and complement professional mental health services. Together, these conditions may allow serving personnel to focus more fully on their responsibilities. Improvements in readiness and retention should be measured, not promised.

Choose Qualified Partners and Hold Them Accountable

Government should coordinate funding, suitable land, and enforceable standards. Developers should bring proven financing and construction experience. Nonprofits should provide effective veteran outreach, benefits navigation, and resident support. Every project needs clear responsibility for property management and long-term operations.

I believe this should become the primary development model for affordable housing for veterans, guided by a commitment to a community connected to every suitable base and evidence from the pilot program. The goal is a dependable supply of homes that supports mental well-being, strengthens morale, and invests in the people who sustain our military. We need to get started as a nation while measuring results honestly and expanding what works!

A Common-Sense Perspective: Start With a Funded Pilot

Let us begin with a funded pilot that brings retired veterans and serving military families together in safe, affordable housing on suitable active bases. Measure housing stability, belonging, mental well-being, and readiness, then expand what works. Our nation owes its military community a serious commitment—and a practical way to deliver it.

Image credit: AI-generated visuals depicting a proposed housing design and fictional people. Images are not photographs of existing projects or actual residents.