Homeless Veterans getting housing faster than projected through VA Central Iowa

Veterans experiencing homelessness in Central Iowa are finding permanent housing solutions at a higher success rate than anticipated and also higher than the national average.

In Central Iowa, VA Homeless Programs set a target to house 126 homeless Veterans in 2022, a figure in line with department-wide goals. VA Central Iowa was actually able to find permanent housing placements (PHP) for 175 Veterans, 139% of the target.

Nationally, VA set a goal of finding PHP for 38,000 homeless Veterans and surpassed that number by 6%, housing more than 40,000 Veterans.

“Exceeding this goal was a collaborative effort not only within VA Central Iowa’s Homeless Programs team, but with community partners, landlords, stakeholders, and most importantly with the Veterans we are honored to serve,” said Homeless Programs Supervisor Jennifer Miner.

Permanent housing placements provided by VA staff and community partners included apartments or houses that Veterans could rent or own, often with a subsidy to help make the housing affordable. VA staff also helped some Veterans end their homelessness by reuniting with family and friends.

“This goal was reached due to the hard work of our VA Central Iowa homeless programs staff, our grantees and contractors and our valued community partners,” said VA Central Iowa Medical Center Director Darwin Goodspeed. “The progress we’re seeing with Veteran homelessness shows that ending homelessness for all Veterans is an attainable goal.”

Nationally, the total number of Veterans who experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2022, was 33,129 — a decrease of 11% from January 2020, the last year a full Point in Time Count was conducted. In total, the estimated number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by 55.3% since 2010. These efforts are built on the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the wraparound support they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and education assistance and more.

NOTE:

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 experiencing homelessness.

 

Dan Kuester, Public Affairs Officer

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