VA St. Louis Health Care System homeless program exceeds goals
PRESS RELEASE
February 9, 2024
St. Louis , MO — VA St. Louis Health Care System (VASTLHCS) Homeless Programs, in collaboration with community partners, exceeded local permanent housing targets for area Veterans set by the Veterans Health Administration Homeless Programs Office.
For the second year in a row, St. Louis joined VA homeless programs throughout the
United States, exceeding VA Secretary Denis McDonough's goal of placing 38,000
homeless Veterans into permanent housing. Following up on a strong 2022, more than
40,000 homeless Veterans were housed nationwide, with 2023 results even better:
46,552 homeless Veterans found housing, exceeding 2023's goal by more than 22
percent.
In the St. Louis area, Hope Recovery Center staff assisted 343 Veterans in finding safe
and stable housing, and ensured they remained housed. Just over 95 percent of these
Veterans were still housed at the end of the year. And for Veterans who did lose their
housing, 94 percent of them were re‐housed or placed on a path to re‐housing through
VA services.
The Secretary also made it a special priority to increase engagement with unsheltered
Veterans in 2023. By Dec. 31, homeless program team members met with 385
unsheltered St. Louis‐area Veterans, exceeding the initial goal of 290 unsheltered
Veterans by more than 133 percent.
Shaleen Robertson, Homeless Program Director at VASTLHCS' Hope Recovery Center,
attributes these numbers to many agencies banding together with the one goal of
helping the area's unsheltered Veterans.
"None of this would have been possible without commitment and teamwork alongside
our talented community partners and the unwavering belief we share that every
Veteran should have a safe place to call home."
Robertson explained how the VA St. Louis Homeless Program team took on a
substantial increase in their initial target to support other homeless programs in the
region to obtain lower, more manageable targets. “We crushed the increased target
and directly supported other homeless programs in the (region) in meeting theirs.
Incredible teamwork.”
Robertson said her team doesn’t plan to slow down. "We are so grateful to work with
such a supportive Veteran Community." said Robertson. " We look forward to rising to
the challenge again in 2024 to support our Veteran community."
Homeless Veterans can contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at
1‐ 877‐424‐3838) for assistance.