Montana VA Exceeds Goal To Support Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

The Montana VA’s goal was to house 230 Veterans in fiscal year 2024. However, the Montana VA housed 249.  

“Despite a challenging housing market, our homeless program staff, with help from our community and housing authority partners, had the privilege of assisting over 200 Veterans and their families exit homelessness,” said Adrian Spencer, the Montana VA Homeless and Vocational Rehabilitation Program manager. “While we take pride in what we have achieved, we know there is still more to be done and are motivated to continue our work toward ending Veteran homeless in Montana and nationwide.” 

Yesterday, the VA Rocky Mountain Network (VISN-19) announced that it has housed more than 2,030 Veterans experiencing homeless in five states this fiscal year. A total of 97.6 percent of these Veterans have not returned to homelessness, and more than 2,010 unsheltered Veterans in this network have been engaged to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need.

“We are excited to have exceeded our goal to support Veterans experiencing homelessness,” said Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill. “We have a tremendous, dedicated team who tackle this challenge every day. This is a testament to their hard work. While this is a great achievement, it underscores the fact that we still have more work to do to support our Montana Veterans. No Veterans should have to experience homelessness.” 

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 percent 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. 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 percent since early 2020 and by more than 52 percent 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.