Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it permanently housed 46,552 homeless Veterans in 2023 — surpassing the calendar year goal to house 38,000 Veterans by 22.5%.
In 2023, VA also engaged with 40,203 unsheltered Veterans to connect them with the housing and resources they need, exceeding the Department’s calendar year goal by 43.6%; ensured that 95.9% of Veterans housed have remained in housing, exceeding the Department’s calendar year goal by 0.9%; and ensured that 96.4% of the Veterans who returned to homelessness have been rehoused or are on a pathway to rehousing, exceeding the Department’s calendar year goal by 6.4%.
Ending Veteran homelessness is a top priority of VA and President Biden, who has made supporting Veterans a key pillar of his Unity Agenda for the nation. Thanks in part to these efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010.
“No Veteran should ever experience the tragedy and indignity of homelessness. More than 46,000 formerly homeless Veterans are going to sleep tonight in good, safe, stable homes — and there’s nothing more important than that,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “While this is an important step forward, we’re not stopping here — we’re going to keep pushing until every Veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they fought to defend.”
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 them with the wraparound support they need to stay housed, including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more. This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader efforts to reduce homelessness.
VA has also made progress in combating Veteran homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area, providing 1,790 homeless Veterans with permanent housing in 2023 — which is the most of any city in America and exceeding the local calendar year goal for 2023 by 19.3%.
This is the second year in a row that VA has housed more than 40,000 homeless Veterans. In 2022, VA housed more than 40,000 formerly homeless Veterans, prevented more than 17,700 Veterans and their families from falling into homelessness, and helped nearly 191,700 additional Veteran families who were experiencing financial difficulties to retain their homes or avoid foreclosure.
VA staff and its 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.
For more information about VA’s comprehensive efforts to end Veteran homelessness, visit VA.gov/homeless.
If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness 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.
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