The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has exceeded its 2024 target to house Veterans experiencing homelessness, providing shelter to 43,116 Veterans between October 2023 and August 2024. This surpasses the VA’s goal of housing 41,000 Veterans for the fiscal year. Remarkably, 96.3% of those housed have not returned to homelessness, and the VA has engaged with 38,476 unsheltered Veterans to ensure they receive access to housing and necessary support services.
The VA, with support from the Biden-Harris Administration, has made tackling Veteran homelessness a key priority. Since 2020, the number of homeless Veterans in the U.S. has decreased by over 4%, and by more than 52% since 2010. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the VA provided permanent housing for nearly 87,000 Veterans.
“No person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said. “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.”
The VA has seen particular success in Los Angeles, housing 1,647 homeless Veterans so far this fiscal year, more than any other U.S. city for the third consecutive year. The VA exceeded its housing goals in the Greater Los Angeles area by 2.6%, and a local Point-in-Time count reported a 22.9% reduction in Veteran homelessness between 2023 and 2024.
This year, the Biden-Harris Administration has implemented several initiatives to combat Veteran homelessness. These include the release of the federal government’s first framework for homelessness prevention and the spotlighting of local and federal efforts in this area. The VA has also awarded over $800 million in grants for Veteran support services and an additional $26 million to fund legal assistance for Veterans facing homelessness.
The VA’s approach is rooted in the “Housing First” model, which prioritizes securing housing for Veterans before addressing other support needs such as healthcare, job training, and legal or educational assistance. This evidence-based method focuses on ensuring Veterans have stable housing while connecting them to essential services to prevent them from becoming homeless again.
VA staff and community partners across the country work daily to secure permanent housing for Veterans, whether through rented or owned properties, often with subsidies to make housing affordable. In some cases, staff even assist in reuniting Veterans with their families or friends to help them transition out of homelessness.
Preventing Veteran homelessness remains a top priority for the VA and its partners as they continue to expand housing initiatives and support programs, ensuring that Veterans can access the homes and services they need for a stable future.
