Homelessness

Since its opening on Veterans Day in 2016, the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence has provided Veterans with community-based housing that includes an on-site case management team – consisting of two social workers, nurse, and peer support specialist – to address each Veteran’s mental and physical barriers to finding a permanent home.

VA and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) recently teamed up to host a Facebook Live event about the ways in which Veterans and their family members can access VA homelessness resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steps House dedicates 40 beds to Veterans who are experiencing homelessness, thanks to grants from VA’s Grant Per Diem (GPD) program. The GPD program aims to help Veterans who are homeless achieve residential stability, increased skills and income, and greater self-determination.

Veterans of the VA Eastern Colorado domiciliary program are experiencing therapeutic benefits from their garden. It helps those Veterans at risk of homelessness served by a clinical care team.

The Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program at Shreveport VA provides more than just housing or shelter to Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Hardship comes in many forms.

A graphic novel-style guide uses storytelling and expressive art to describe housing and health care resources for Veterans facing homelessness.

Hire MI Vet focuses on community involvement, education and hiring events. The initiative has made a range of employment-related services accessible to all Veterans who are unemployed or at risk of becoming unemployed.

Because Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness experience poorer health outcomes than individuals in stable housing, VA is working closely with other federal agencies to limit this vulnerable population’s potential to exposure.

VA provides a full range of programs and services to help Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness secure stable housing and achieve independence. These resources are vital for all Veterans, especially women: homelessness among female Veterans increased by 2% between 2018 and 2019, while homelessness among male Veterans declined by 3% during the same period.

VA uses the results of the PIT Count with other data to make strategic decisions about programs for Veterans who lack stable housing.

At your next physical, discuss your personal and medical history with your VA doctor. Resources such as My HealtheVet can help you prepare for an exam and communicate securely with your care team.

Operation Sacred Trust (OST) is a nonprofit organization funded by VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.