Too many Veterans are surviving in places not meant for human habitation—under bridges, in parked cars, or in encampments tucked out of sight. They deserve more than survival. They deserve a path home. To help make that a reality, VA has launched “Getting Veterans Off the Street”—a nationwide initiative focused on reaching and housing Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Every VA medical center is hosting at least one outreach event between now and Sept. 30, 2025, to move unsheltered Veterans into interim or permanent housing.
What is unsheltered homelessness?
In contrast to sheltered homelessness, where people live in emergency shelters and other temporary settings, unsheltered homelessness refers to people sleeping outdoors in public spaces like streets, parks or under bridges, or in locations not meant for habitation, like vehicles, tents or abandoned buildings.
Unsheltered homelessness is one of the most dangerous situations a person can face. It can severely harm one’s whole health: mind, body and soul. When a Veteran is unsheltered, there’s no time to delay getting them to a safe place and quickly on a path to permanent, stable housing.
Outreach with intention
During these events, VA and our partners go out into our communities all across America to find unsheltered Veterans wherever they are (e.g., in encampments, on the streets, in the woods, under bridges) to offer them immediate enrollment in housing programs, health care, behavioral health services and VA benefits—all in real time.
Why now?
A persistent gap: While overall Veteran homelessness has declined within the last year, too many Veterans still lack safe shelter. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count, the number of unsheltered Veterans went from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024. Despite the decrease, this remains unacceptably high.
Danger to health: People experiencing unsheltered homelessness have more significant health issues than those who are sheltered and struggle to access health care and essential medical supplies, including health records, documents and medications. Moreover, many also lack basic hygiene resources, causing them to face a greater risk of contracting infectious diseases.
First of its kind: While communities have conducted housing surges, which focus on efforts to move unsheltered and sheltered Veterans into permanent housing, this is a new focus on reaching out to unsheltered Veterans at the start of their recovery journey. And although VA and others have conducted pilot projects to improve outreach to unsheltered Veterans—most notably in Denver, CO, which saw a nearly 40% decrease in unsheltered Veterans from their 2025 PIT Count—no one has ever conducted surge events at this scale.
No wrong door
Whether a Veteran is coming in from the cold or finally asking for help after years in the shadows, we’re here. We know the ultimate goal is permanent housing, but sometimes the first step is a warm bed, a ride to the clinic, or someone simply saying, “You’re not alone.” That’s why we’re working with communities to expand emergency options and fast-track all Veterans—especially those most at risk—into safe, stable housing.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every Veteran’s journey is different. And that’s why we’re here—to walk with them wherever they’re starting from.
If you or someone you know is a Veteran experiencing homelessness, call our confidential 24/7 hotline: 877-424-3838. Because you served—and we’re here to serve you.
Learn about VA programs
- If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk for homelessness or need to connect with a Veterans justice outreach specialist, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838.
- Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
- Learn how to get involved with housing homeless Veterans.
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Our organization is here to do our part and will will collaborate with the VA for the outreach event(s). We serve at multiple cities across the state of Texas. In Austin, we help Homeless Veterans obtain gainful employment. While working on an employment assistance plan, we can refer the Veteran to communities partners/entities aimed to stabilization housing. We appreciate the VA’s outreach efforts and will step up to assist to do our part!
This is awesome. On my own, daily I work with veterans helping them get off the streets and connected with the VA Homeless Hotline/Program, also getting them signed up on VA.gov, giving them connected with local and state wide VA representatives.
Currently working/developing a Podcast of my own called “Get Out People Of The Streets”. Have written and produced a theme song called “Get Our People Off The Streets”, strictly for the podcast.
You can listen to the song on the website listed below under my pen name Gregory Geeh.
http://www.broadjam.com/gregorygeeh
How can I enroll in shelter for Vets? Where you bring a vet into your home, and care for them? TN
As a homeless veteran, living in a tent that was gifted to me by a representative from Missouri University Veterans Services, I jumped through all the hoops and rang all the bells and blew all the whistles that the VA required of me.
HUD refuses to house a RSO; no landlords anywhere in the States will provide housing at a rate a 69 year old, EX – Marine on social security can afford.
Sent down the rabbit hole of Catholic Charities, and other institutions that ‘support’ homeless veterans with the result always being the same – no room at the inn, or only 90 days and then back out on the streets. I’d rather stay in my tent and not have to keep moving my stuff into and out of storage over and over again.
IF the VA would recognize that my mental health issues were aggravated by my time in service and the event that broke me happened to drive me completely insane I might be able to start the process of recovering. But the system is more concerned with my past, the crimes I’ve committed (and admitted to since 1997) and the possibility that the pension I do receive “MIGHT” be increased if they admit any service related or aggravated issues.
Money is all anyone cares about; I want someone to admit the Marine Corps knew I was having issues BEFORE I broke down and began committing crimes.
I have filled out the form to house a veteran. It’s been 6 months and no one has called me or emailed me back. If the veterans need a home what is the problem when someone reaches out and VA doesn’t respond?
Just now you are waking up about homeless veterans shameful I lost a lot of my brothers die in the streets from the Viet-Nam War. We couldn’t get help from anybody the public the government everybody turned there backs on us. We were outcasts a burden we had to fend for ourselves. Rodney Babin Combat Viet-Nam veteran 1967-68-68. 11-Bravo Grunt. Battle of Dakto I got medivaced out of a hot Lz. We almost got overrun by the Nva. North Vietnamese.
Give ’em hell, Rodney. I’m a Vietnam veteran also who has gotten the SHIT end of the stick from the government. As much as we complain, it falls on deaf ears. THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT !! The veteran becomes homeless because the V.A. won’t give the veteran enough money in their pension to make it on their own. Instead of giving the veteran enough money to survive on, they would rather decrease their pensions so they become homeless. And then spring into action by spending more government money putting the veteran into homeless shelters. Just so they can say LOOK WHAT WE’RE DOING FOR THE VETERAN. Until the V.A. gives the veteran what they really deserve, the V.A. financial section will NEVER look good to me.