Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office| January 2021 - VA Homeless Programs
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Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office| January 2021

January 2021

Monica Diaz

Welcome to 2021! With a new year comes new opportunities to help Veterans facing homelessness. VHA's Homeless Programs Office (HPO) is beginning this year energized by the prospect of continuing to offer innovative programs and services for those who are counting on us. We're able to offer such solutions based in part on the research and work of other governmental organizations that share our mission to end homelessness. Among these organizations is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD's Point-in-Time (PIT) count, an annual effort to estimate the number of Americans without safe, stable housing, is used to measure progress toward VA's goal of ending Veteran homelessness. In odd-numbered years, the local planning bodies that coordinate homelessness services in a regional area (these are called Continuums of Care, or CoCs) count both sheltered and unsheltered people. To maximize safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, HUD has allowed CoCs to change their standard PIT count methodology this year. According to HUD, the unsheltered PIT count will offer information about how COVID-19 has impacted those who are experiencing homelessness. This is important information for VA, CoCs, and national partners to have to determine what additional resources are needed to serve this population.

As we move forward in 2021, we're also feeling motivated by the creative and meaningful ways our partners and colleagues have helped Veterans in the past 12 months. There are so many stories from people all over the country who have “stepped up” and shown great resolve and determination to help Veterans in need. We hope you enjoy their stories, highlighted below, as much as we have.

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