In January 2024, an estimated 32,882 Veterans were experiencing homelessness in the United States.
While this represents a 7.5% decrease from 2023, VA’s goal is to move 28,000 unsheltered Veterans into interim or permanent housing. But the path to “home” is not always straight.
This was the case for Veteran Michael Magyar. After being discharged from the Army and struggling, Magyar found himself without a home. Connecting with VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) helped him turn the tide. HUD-VASH helped Magyar gain temporary and then long-term housing through HUD’s Housing Choice Vouchers. These programs provided the wraparound services and support he needed to remain stably housed.
Case manager Autumn Hail came into his life at the same time. While Magyar admits they didn’t always see eye to eye, he called on his Army training to help him commit himself to following her advice and suggestions. This decision paid off. Through the help of VA programs, Magyar was finally able to purchase a home.
“Veterans Affairs, particularly the HUD-VASH program, gave me the stability, resources and hope I needed to reclaim my life,” said Magyar. “I now have the tools, support and mindset to live a life of stability and purpose. And for that, I am forever thankful.”
Some homeless Veterans may decline help the first, fifth and twelfth time they are offered it. Only through continual relationship building can VA staff help turn “not yet” into “yes”.
The path to stability
The road to permanent housing begins with meeting Veterans where they are, and VA is focused on these five steps:
1. Canvassing
VA health teams canvass areas where unsheltered Veterans reside and provide in-person outreach, support calling the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (877-424-3838) or referrals to other VA services. Veterans who accept help are given same-day temporary housing placement while VA staff help them stabilize.
2. Enrollment in VA Programs
Once in temporary housing, Veterans are enrolled in VA programs like HUD-VASH and Supportive Services for Veteran Families. These programs help at-risk or homeless Veterans maintain stable housing and include outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits, and financial assistance.
3. Case Management
After Veterans have been enrolled in VA programs, they are added to a list and tracked person-to-person.
4. Health Care Services
VA connects Veterans to wraparound health care services to address any existing health concerns and prevent Veterans from falling back into homelessness due to unmanaged health care needs. Services include primary care, mental health, employment, vocational rehab and other resources.
5. Home
With strong case management and sustained VA connections, Veterans are moved into long-term housing.
Learn about VA programs
- If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk of 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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Reading the article on the self-serving propaganda, it is more important to read the comments, and if you can distinguish between the ones that are posted by self-serving propaganda, that most likely generated internally, the real issues, on the other hand, clearly demonstrate an escalating issue as moving veterans into the HUD-VASH program has Key Requirements and one of them is income that quite obviusly is the cuase of homelss that is why we have created and implimenting our soltuion to not only adress the rapodly escalting healthcare issues veterna are facing but a soluton to genrate them jobs and even a buisness opporunity. If interested in learning more about this important program, you can reach me by email It is not a hoax but a real opportunity.
My mother was in the HUD-VASH program in Florida but through some mishandling, it was not transferrable when I had to move her to Virginia. I’d like to know more about this program and how to get my mother back on it again the next time we go to the Medical Center in DC.
I find and help Homeless people everyday and Night, I give them Money,Food, and Blankets. Many RE vETS, i DO A SMALL STORY ON THEM AND TAKE THIS TO THE va, SOMETIMES i CAN GET THEIR dd214/S, bUT MOSTLY i HAVE TO ORDER IT FOR THEM. va GIVES ME A NUMBER TO FOLLOW UP-i CALL IT, AND THEY ARE GONE, BECAUSE OF bUDGET CUTS, They refer me to someone else, when I call they never ansawer, Now they tell me to write to the Congress, especially the Republicians. I need your VA help, I can bring them to you with DD214/s But you need to help meet me at least halfway. Don D. Whedon SR Ret Navy,Army,& AF 34 yrs, Disabilited Vet 3 Combat tours
this is bullshit i was homeless for 5 years and desperately tried to get help from the VA its a bunch of bullshit links and nonsense you all dont do shit and are scam artists
Once again as I have mentioned many times before, veterans are homeless because those clowns out in Janesville, Wisconsin get their rocks off by deciding which veteran should have their disability pensions reduced due to any slight improvement in health. After prostate cancer was found, they gave me $3,800 a month. After one month of radiation treatment, I was reduced to $483.01 a month whether the cancer was fully eradicated or not. Before the cancer was discovered my pension was almost $1,000 a month. They must spin a wheel and whatever amount it lands on is what the veteran gets. For most veterans the only thing we get IS THE SHAFT !!!
Your English up to and including your grammar is terrible and so is your punctuation. This should be addressed and corrected before and not after a paragraph or, indeed, an entire article is typed and published. Let alone spoken out loud.
(It’s funny for the same reason that it’s true)
I need help.
Who ever made this comment about this Veterans comment I would like to meet. Is this how you treat your Dog, or wife you are Discusting-Retract your words
I love these articles! They give the average tax payer and the housing stable veterans a nice warm tingly feeling knowing that steps are being taken to help homeless veterans. It’s all BS and they know it. In Virginia they made claims about solving the homeless veterans problems. Nothing actually happened to help veterans. But they did change the requirements that qualified veterans as being in need of services. You can only qualify as homeless if you can provide documents proving that you had stayed 5 nights in a homeless shelter. They designed those requirements with full knowledge that there has never been enough bed space available in those shelters to accommodate the needs of this enormous veterans community..They made it the requirement while being fully aware that there are no homeless shelters available to women or women with children who are not fleeing domestic violence. They helped no one, took out a front page add in the Virginia Pilot , Then took a bow, leaving the tax payer with a warm fuzzy feeling and veterans under bridges to die from hypothermia while waiting for a shelter space to open up.
The v.a. is finally reaching ng it’s goal with this type of assistance and continues to promote social partipitation in military enlistment of fresh educated enrollees.
Looking for a new place .
I have been on HUD-VASH waiting list in the Baltimore VA system since October of 2024 and I have received no assistance and have been told that I am a low priority because I don’t have children, I even went to Perry Point and was told there was no help by the Social worker there. I’m living in hotels and my car . This story is complete bullshit news
This is great ? Now, how about comprehensive dental benefits for every veteran? They’ll treat my knees, but not my teeth. Get with it!!!
This is great ? Now, how about comprehensive dental benefits for every veteran? They’ll treat my knees, but not my teeth. Get with it!!!
hud-vash is not open to 100% service connected rated veterans that really puts a damper on the help we can get.
something needs to be done though about laws because when I tried to apply for an apartment the management said that they could not rent to me because I was too much of a financial risk because of my bad credit score it’s mostly credit card debt.
I’ve never been evicted I’ve always paid rent on time and it’s not like I’m applying for a loan to pay rent so I don’t know why they have to look at that or think that I’m a financial risk simply because of credit card debt.
a lot of the debt was from car repair bills and our dogs who needed surgery one had a tumor removed and the other one needed care for the ear infection he had. it just kept coming back even after using antibiotics and stuff. and then we had a pet rabbit who got mastitis and went into a deep depression after she lost her litter so we took her to the vet they kept her for a week with an IV of fluids and they let her stay in a little box in the doctor’s office with a blanket in there she was a sweetheart too a little snuggle cuddle bug. they were my ESA animals. I even had a letter from the VA stating as such.
I have benefitted from the hud -vash
Program, im about to move into an apartment which would be difficult without this program
Not homeless disabled Veterans, just Looking for reasonable cost, utilities included housing.
my name is troy. I am homeless and sleeping in my car. I have significant other and 1 child of school age. We need a forever home badly, not temporary housing. We need a voucher, been on a list for 8 months with no end in sight. These vouchers need to be issued on a demand basis, It is imperative that every
Homeless vet family be issued a voucher day one not day 365.
This is the best information I have read. Hoping to get home choice voucher.
Not true! I have contacted the VA repeatedly for assistance in Chicago and was given locations of shelters. I was never offered same day placement!
I work for a non-profit. We partner with the VA in Tucson to help Veterans overcome barriers to permanent housing and then we help them get housed. The Tucson VA is excellent. They work hard to house our amazing Veterans.
I am a disabled vet and have had a steady place to live since 2010. I am single with a girlfriend but, I wish to seek other home situations. I want a new place because my son and his friend are currently living with me, and they are currently using fentanyl, as well as other drugs to stay high. I really want to vacate the area and get into a healthier situation . I will be at my local VA hospital
You are cordially invited to join us in a solemn and respectful ceremony dedicated to honoring the bravery, sacrifice, and dedication of the Afghanistan 13.
This poignant event will feature a moment of silence, the reading of the names of the fallen heroes, and reflections on their courage and enduring legacy. Through this gathering, we aim to unite veterans, community members, and families in remembrance, fostering a spirit of community, support, and shared gratitude for those who served.
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Time: 9:00AM – 12:00. Noon
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Phone: 954-646-6280
Email: momofmilitary@gmail.com
We greatly appreciate your generosity and support in our efforts to honor our fallen heroes. Your involvement will help preserve their legacy and inspire future generations.
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PLEASE SEE ATTACHED SPONSORSHIP
IM still waiting for someone to help me and my family. They just gave me a hard time and still are . You must be in another state
They saved me
I am a senior veteran who’s been looking for housing for for over (5) years because the housing authority list has been closed.
To bad there isn’t programs to help keep veterans in homes they already own. My roof is leaking and I need help. 8500 was the estimate my va benefits are basically 500 a week at 80%. I truly could use a hand up.
Sounds good, but promises are just like words…”They sound good”.We shall see.
Im about to be homeless
I missed out on help for my 10 year homeless problem because someone at the local VA told me something that wasn’t true. I’m a 100% disabled vet with life ending problems. It’s very hard for me to accept help now and to live in this much pain. I only want to say if this is more fake help, please don’t hurt anymore vets like me, don’t make the numbers of suicide vets go up. Thank you
Progress worth celebrating, but the fight continues. The 7.5% drop in Veteran homelessness to 32,882 in 2024 is a huge win—kudos to VA for aiming to house 28,000 more! Michael Magyar’s story shows the real impact of programs like HUD-VASH: from street to stability, then homeownership. The 5-step process—canvassing, enrollment, case management, health services, and finally ‘home’—is a smart, compassionate blueprint. It’s heartening to see VA’s persistence in building relationships, turning ‘not yet’ into ‘yes.’ For unsheltered Vets, this isn’t just housing; it’s dignity restored. If you’re a Vet in need, call 877-424-3838—help is there. Let’s all support these initiatives!
Thank you for helping our veterans its about time there treated with respect they deserve for fighting to defend our country.some feel it’s just those in combat that deserve help I say all veterans deserve help it doesn’t matter if you sat behind a desk or cooked food. one person cannot do their job if the person before them had not done theirs.
I’m in several veterans groups on Facebook. There are homeless vets there. We send them to the VA, they get no help. This article is the exception, not the rule
Presently living with my son but he may be moving out of the country and I will need assistance to find housing.
I am proud to be a Hud VASH Social Worker and case manager for unhoused Veterans .
Unfortunately this is not the case in Massachusetts. I work with the veterans here and we have many veterans, homeless and with a lack of resources. However, this state prioritizes and automatically enrolls services for illegal immigrants (snap, section 8, ) It’s so sad and it makes me so angry
I have lived in my SUV for 5 years and the VA’s Homeless office was absolutely useless until I contacted my congressman (also a veteran). Then they, at least, reached out without acting like I was a burden. Seriously, all they do is facilitate you working with a local NGO or non-profit. The homeless office does very little else.
SSVF, administered through a local non-profit.
HUD-Vash, administered through a local non-profit.
Temporary housing, administered through a local non-profit.
So, then you have a case worker with the VA, a case worker with the local non-profit and a case worker through whatever program youre in and none of them provide all the information you need while they all do one thing and that’s try and put you back into the Matrix.
I am homeless because of the VA. Because they refused to maintain their apartment. Because it flooded 13 times with sewage and they were aware of it and did nothing. Because it killed my service dog, because the rep; Philips Griffith refused to inspect the apartment.
When the Marion county health dept. condemned it,his responce was “Be glad you have a roof over your head, keep paying your rent”.
You, this agege are aware of this and also chose to do nothing.
The articles were very interesting to be informed and updated on veterans homelessness
Money Gimmick!!!
I am so bless now after my Vietnam war service 1969-973 I am now back to my regular life. Approved for VA home guaranty certificate to purchase my own home .For now I am so happy to the HUD- VASH extended help to get me approved and now at my first home ( apartment 1bed& 1 bath). Officially signed my closing and final agreement Aug 2025 beginning of my new life
Thank you very much, Department of To veterans Affairs,Veterans Benefit Administration ,VSO, HUD-VASH .
I do really proud of you all from the bottom of my ❤️
I was so touched cried for the HUD – VASH helped I acquired yesterday. .Thank you very much Margarita and Theresa HUD- VASH worked together get me my first VA home or Apartment.August 2025 got my Homeless help from HUD- VASH thank you very much.I am now not transferring / .moving to different places to get my shelter or apartment I am now be at in one place or one room to stay called my home
I thank you veterans and US government for the effort to get me at home .
.Truly Yours,.
Mr. Angelito M. Garcia
Honorable Discharge
Vietnam and Cold War.m Veterans