VA Homeless Programs
Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office | July 2021
July 2021
As VHA’s Homeless Programs Office (HPO) looks ahead to post-pandemic service delivery to Veterans, we know that our innovative programs and strategic partnerships will push us closer to ensuring every Veteran and their families have safe and stable housing. For example, Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACTs), an innovative treatment model being implemented at VA locations across the country, are essential to our efforts to end Veteran homelessness. HPACTs are located on the campuses of VA medical centers, at community-based outpatient clinics, and at Community Resource and Referral Centers (CRRCs). Within HPACTs, medical staff, social workers, mental health and substance use counselors, nurses, and HPO staff provide Veterans with individualized care and services that lead to permanent housing.
HPACTs differ from typical primary care because HPACT services are tailored to, and aligned with, the needs of Veterans experiencing homelessness. Veterans experience fewer barriers to care at HPACTs — they can walk right into an open-access, one-stop location for wrap-around services including food and clothing assistance, showers, laundry facilities, and more. HPACT enrollment is associated with lower rates of emergency department use and hospitalizations. As of July 1, 2021, over 17,000 patients were enrolled in an HPACT at one of 56 sites across the country.
We are pleased that the Congressional FY22 budget includes funding specific to HPACT for the first time. Our office recognizes the tremendous value in HPACTs’ Veteran-centric, tailored approach to care for those experiencing homelessness, and it’s clear that those at the highest levels of our government do too. With this new development, HPO looks forward to expanding the HPACT program to more sites nationwide.
Also on our minds this month are the many Americans, including Veterans, who will be impacted by the end of the eviction moratoria this summer in communities across the country. We will be meeting this reality head-on by acting on many of the objectives outlined in our Strategic Plan. The $486 million, allocated to HPO, in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 funds will also be used to help Veterans impacted by the end of the eviction moratoria. These funds will also support the creation of a comprehensive, long-term recovery plan to prevent and end homelessness among Veterans. Stay tuned for more information about these efforts in future newsletters and on our website. On our website, you can also find the newly released Veterans Health Administration Homeless Programs Office Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Report. In it, readers can see the impact of HPO’s work to prevent and end homelessness during fiscal year 2020. It is a comprehensive compilation that showcases VA’s unwavering commitment to serve Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness and their families.
Finally, July hosts a few observances that serve as great reminders for things we can do to support the Veterans in our communities. We are uplifting July 25 as National Hire a Veteran Day. Stay tuned on our social media feeds for more information. July is also Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Be sure to read the newsletter’s Fact of the Month for information on important resources and support for minority Veterans.
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Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can call or visit their local VA Medical Center (VAMC) and ask for a Homeless Coordinator. Use the VA locator tool www.va.gov/directory to find your nearest VAMC and call or visit today.
