In February 2022, VA Secretary Denis McDonough issued a challenge to VA staff and partners: place at least 38,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing by Dec. 31, 2022.
The goal was ambitious, but McDonough was confident that VA staff, partners and the Veterans they served would rise to the occasion. They proved him right.
Fighting the good fight
When Secretary McDonough was confirmed to lead VA in 2021, he promised to “fight like hell for our Veterans.” One of his first opponents: Veteran homelessness. That’s why, in 2021, Secretary McDonough set a goal to house 500 Veterans in Los Angeles, known then as the “epicenter of Veteran homelessness in America.” When VA exceeded that goal, he knew it was time to think bigger.
The secretary and I agreed that setting a goal to increase the number of national permanent housing placements by 5% from the prior year was ambitious. After all, Veteran homelessness declined by 47% between 2010 and 2016, but only by 6% between 2016 and 2020. We also agreed that if any team could achieve this challenge, it was the dedicated individuals at VA.
A national team effort
When the challenge was announced, VA medical centers immediately engaged in strategic planning efforts to prioritize which actions would be most impactful toward reaching the Secretary’s goal.
VA medical centers also committed to incorporating the feedback and guidance of the Veterans who have experienced homelessness to ensure all Veterans would have equitable access to and successful placement in permanent housing.
Twice a month, VA homeless programs staff across the country met virtually to share strategies, brainstorm new approaches, and problem solve together.
In addition to these strategic planning efforts, VA staff benefited from robust technical assistance from the Biden-Harris administration and Congress. With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, VA’s homeless programs received $481 million in additional funding to support Veterans.
This included funding to expand the Shallow Subsidy Initiative, expand the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program to address legal barriers to housing, transform congregate transitional housing spaces into individual rooms with bathrooms, and more.
Data reflects diverse needs
VA tracked both the number of unique Veterans who entered permanent housing as well as the overall number of permanent housing placements that occurred between January and December 2022.
“Permanent housing placements” occur when VA staff or VA-funded grantees help homeless Veterans move into permanent housing, homes that are owned or rented by the Veterans, with or without a subsidy to help make the housing affordable.
VA is committed to connecting every Veteran with a place to call home, no matter how many times a Veteran may need to engage in the placement process.
In the end, 40,401 Veterans were placed into permanent housing, exceeding the goal by 6.3%.
The mission continues
While the progress achieved in the past year toward ending Veteran homelessness is exceptional, it is further proof that with strategic planning, dedication and determination, we can end Veteran homelessness in America.
Results from the Department of Housing and Urban Development 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count—one of the ways VA estimates the homeless population nationwide—revealed an 11% decline in Veteran homelessness since 2020 and a 55.3% decline in Veteran homelessness since 2010. (The 2023 PIT Count will be conducted in communities across the country in January 2023.)
VA homeless program employees are not pausing to revel in their success. We are greeting the new year with a renewed sense of urgency to build on their momentum. In the year ahead, VA will prioritize Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
A win for America
The Veterans who were placed into permanent housing during the challenge period could fill every seat in Fenway Park, plus a few hundred more.
But the final score of this challenge cannot be measured adequately in numbers alone.
40,401 Veterans placed into permanent housing reflects 40,401 different stories, identities, personalities and histories. No two individuals had the same journey to homelessness, and no two individuals had the same needs when exiting homelessness.
These Veterans all did have one thing in common: They had the courage to ask for, and accept, help.
When Veterans asked, VA was ready. No matter their situation, VA was committed to finding them a place to call home.
Reaching this goal is a win for our Veterans, for VA and for America.
Learn about VA programs
- If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
- Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
- Check out the Ending Veteran Homelessness podcast to learn more about what VA is doing about Veteran homelessness.
- For more stories like these, subscribe to the Homeless Programs Office newsletter to receive monthly updates about programs and supportive services for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
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Thomas, I’m so sorry you are having this challenge! Yes, affordable housing in a safe neighborhood is becoming a challenge for many cities. Construction crews are hastily working on a solution; however, with the rising costs of everything, including housing, I wonder if these new apartments will be financially feasible for our veterans. I realize Lee County, Florida is your home. However, since there is no housing available in that location, would it be difficult for you to relocate to another area that does have available housing? Would your housing authority be willing to work with a nearby housing authority to quickly get you into your own place?
I wish you the best on your quest for a new place to live.
I wish this was true. The success of this program might work in some parts of the country, but in Lee County, Florida this story is “Fake News.” The VA Supportive Housing (VASH) program does not work in our County. I qualified and was approved by the VA for a VASH Housing Voucher. On November 2, 2022, Fort Myers Housing Authority gave me the Voucher but said “they currently don’t know of any available One Bedroom Apartments in the County were they accepted the VASH Voucher but the VA staff will assist. Over the last 21/2 months, I or my VA Case Worker Jennifer Burnham has not been able to show me a single apartment that the VASH staff has: 1) physically looked at the apartment to make sure it is “Safe, Clean, and Affordable and is Currently available 2) the actual Landlord will participate in the VASH program 3) they contact me as the Veteran and let me know they checked it out and it’s currently available. Their idea of helping the Veteran is to look on the internet. Because of the shortage of available One Bedroom apartments, they are generally more expensive than the Voucher is worth. Even though HUD knows our County is in a Declared Major Disaster, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge has not been willing to raise the VASH voucher to reflect the current condition of scarce and expensive housing. For example, Single Veterans looking for a One Bedroom Apartment have a VASH Voucher worth $1100. But that same Veteran living in San Francisco has a Voucher worth $2665., Boston $2198.; New York $2170. Seattle $1881. Even though we have one of the most difficult Counties in the Country for Housing we have $1100. If HUD changed the amount to any of the above we would be just fine and the goal of Secretaries McDonough and Fudge “All Veterans deserve to have what they need to lead healthy, safe, and successful lives—that’s starts with a place to call home.
I have raised this concern with The Southern Counties, Social Work Section Chief, Shasta Dorisca. I asked her to show me One apartment that the VA has personally looked at to see if it Safe, Clean, and Currently available and the Landlord knows and is willing to do the required paperwork and inspection for the leasing contract using the VASH Voucher. I also brought this up with Paul Russo, Director/CEO Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, Florida. He understands the problem, but has yet to come up with a solution.
Here’s my request from a 73 year old Vietnam Veteran who is retired, has a VASH Voucher and needs a One Bedroom apartment to live. I challenge you Secretary McDonough to find someone in the enormous VA system to give you a list of one or two Available Appartments that THEY have looked at personally so it meets VA standards (Safe, Clean and Affordable) talked to the landlord who understands the VASH program and is willing to participate in the VA program. To this date NO ONE working in the VASH program has been able to show me a single apartment. They don’t exist as far as I know in our County. So before you take you bow for the Veterans you helped, and I applaud your efforts, there is one Veteran (me) who has been left behind. I wait patiently to hear from the VA.
PS. I wrote to Secretary McDonough on December 12, 2022 and he forwarded it to Director Russo who on December 15, 2022 thanked me “for my service to our Nation and for choosing the VA as my health care provider.” Six weeks later, He or is VASH staff have yet to identify a one bedroom apartment that they personally looked at, talked to the landlord about the program and have brought me over to see the available apartment. I ask you to please take the challenge and have them identify an apartment. Until then, I’m not ready to celebrate.
Respectfully
Thomas Wincek