VAGLAHS Has Housed More than 1,647 Veterans Experiencing Homelessness this Fiscal Year

This metric exceeds the goal to provide permanent housing for 1,605 Veterans by 2.6% with one month of data still to be collected and reported.   

A total of 93.4% of those Veterans have not returned to homelessness.  In addition, 2,143 unsheltered Veterans throughout the VAGLAHS catchment area have been engaged to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need. 

“For 1,647 Veterans, life has fundamentally changed,” said VAGLAHS Medical Center Director Robert Merchant. “These individuals who sacrificed for our nation are now off the streets and in homes of their own, with the support and services they need to rebuild their lives. Our team is on the front lines of this lifesaving work, and I’m proud of the passion and determination they demonstrate every day. Though we have much work yet to do, this progress is an important step forward, and we will continue to build on this momentum.”

Still, there is more work to be done.  For the third consecutive year, Los Angeles has the most unhoused Veterans of any city in America.  That’s why last year, VAGLAHS pioneered the One Team initiative, a groundbreaking effort that has united VA and its community partners to move Veterans from homelessness to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Additional VAGLAHS resources and others can be found on the VAGLAHS Homeless Veteran Care page.

Nationally, during this same time period, VA housed 43,116 Veterans experiencing homelessness, surpassing its fiscal year 2024 goal to house 41,000 Veterans a month earlier than anticipated. A total of 96.3% of the Veterans housed have not returned to homelessness, and 38,476 unsheltered Veterans have been engaged nationally.

Preventing and eliminating Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration. Between 2022 and 2023, VA permanently housed nearly 87,000 Veterans. As a result of these efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010. 

“No person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “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.”

VA and the entire administration have taken considerable steps this year to combat Veteran homelessness. This week, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released the federal government’s first ever framework for homelessness prevention and launched a new series spotlighting local and federal efforts to prevent homelessness. Last month, VA awarded more than $800 million in grants via its Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem programs, and in July, awarded over $26 million in grants to support legal services for Veterans facing homelessness. Additionally, last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA announced policy changes that will help more Veterans receive housing assistance under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. 

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 or connecting them with the wraparound services and supports they need to stay housed, including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more. 

Every day, VA staff and VA’s 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.

Visit the VA.gov/homeless to learn about housing initiatives and other programs supporting Veterans experiencing homelessness. 

If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) or visit VA.gov/homeless.