VA has housed more than 43,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness this fiscal year

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that between October 2023 and August 2024, it housed 43,116 Veterans experiencing homelessness, surpassing its fiscal year 2024 goal to house 41,000 Veterans one month before the end of the fiscal year. VA has also ensured that 96.3% of the Veterans housed so far this fiscal year have not returned to homelessness, and engaged 38,476 unsheltered Veterans to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need.

Preventing and eliminating Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration. Between 2022 and 2023, VA permanently housed nearly 87,000 Veterans. As a result of these efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010.

“No person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “As a result of this year’s efforts, more than 43,000 formerly homeless Veterans now have access to the homes that they deserve. And make no mistake: we won’t rest until every Veteran has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home to call their own.”

VA has also made progress in combating Veteran homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area, providing 1,647 homeless Veterans with permanent housing so far this fiscal year — the most of any city in America (for the third year in a row) and exceeding VA’s FY 2024 goals for this region by 2.6%. Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s recent Point-in Time count revealed a 22.9% reduction in Veterans experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles between 2023 and 2024.

The Biden-Harris Administration have taken considerable steps this year to combat Veteran homelessness. This week, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released the federal government’s first ever framework for homelessness prevention and launched a new series spotlighting local and federal efforts to prevent homelessness. Last month, VA awarded more than $800 million in grants via its Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem programs, and in July, awarded over $26 million in grants to support legal services for Veterans facing homelessness. Additionally, last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA announced policy changes that will help more Veterans receive housing assistance under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program.

VA’s efforts to combat Veteran homelessness are grounded in reaching out to homeless Veterans, understanding their unique needs, and addressing them. These efforts are built on the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then providing or connecting them with the wraparound services and supports they need to stay housed, including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.

Every day, VA staff and VA’s community partners nationwide help Veterans find permanent housing, such as apartments or houses to rent or own, often with subsidies to help make the housing affordable. In some cases, VA staff and partners help Veterans end their homelessness by reuniting them with family and friends.

Visit the VA.gov/homeless to learn about housing initiatives and other programs supporting Veterans experiencing homelessness.