About the Initiative
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VA’s Commitment to End Veteran Homelessness
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Veteran homelessness is a problem of national importance. According to a count on a January night in 2011, there were 67,495 homeless Veterans. And an estimated 144,842 Veterans spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program in a recent year. Because of this, in 2009, President Obama and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced the federal government’s goal to end Veteran homelessness by 2015. Together with our partners and supporters nationwide, VA is determined to meet that challenge.
Through the Homeless Veterans Initiative, VA committed $800 million in FY 2011 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans. VA provides a range of services to homeless Veterans, including health care, housing, job training, and education. There are a variety of reasons why Veterans are homeless and VA is committed to providing solutions to put an end to this problem.
All Americans can join the fight to end Veteran homelessness and make sure all Veterans have access to the resources and support they’ve earned. Everyone who works with Veterans has a role in ensuring their success. From the justice community to health care providers, from nonprofit organizations to the faith community, from neighbors to family members and employers, we can all be partners in ending Veteran homelessness.
The Six Pillars of the Homeless Initiative
VA’s initiative, from the Secretary’s office to local communities, is guided by six pillars:
- Community Partnerships A network of more than 2,418 shelters, soup kitchens, and other community partners around the United States are providing the services Veterans need to stay in their homes or get back on their feet. Combined with other community organizations, there are over 4,000 community groups working to serve our homeless Veterans.
- Income/Employment/Benefits VA has put more than 370 currently or formerly homeless Veterans to work across the country as Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists who assist about 40,000 fellow Veterans annually.
- Housing/Supportive Services Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homeless Veterans are provided with Section 8 “Housing Choice Vouchers” by HUD under the HUD-VASH Program. VA provides case management services through the HUD-VASH and Grant-Per-Diem programs.
- Outreach/Education VA works on the ground in communities to raise the awareness of Veterans and their support networks about services such as 1-877-4AID-VET, VA’s 24/7 hotline to support Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
- Prevention VA provides grants to community groups that assist Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and their families as well in maintaining permanent housing.
- Treatment VA supports Veterans who need a range of medical, psychiatric, vocational, or educational services through its Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans.
Facts about Veteran Homelessness
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- On a single night in January 2011, 67,495 homeless Veterans spent the night on the streets of America.
- An estimated 144,842 Veterans spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program in one recent year.
- Many other Veterans are considered at risk of homelessness because of poverty, lack of support from family and friends, substance use or mental health issues, and precarious living conditions.
- VA is the only federal agency that provides substantial hands-on assistance directly to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
- Each year, VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless Veterans and other services to more than 112,000 Veterans.
- More than 40,000 homeless Veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.
- Although they are limited to Veterans and their dependents, VA's major homeless programs constitute the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country.
Local Homeless Coordinators Directory
1-877-4AID-VET: Your 24/7 Hotline
The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline offers Veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness 24/7 access to trained counselors. The hotline offers information and assistance to Veterans and their families; VA Medical Centers; federal, state, and local partners; and community-based agencies, service providers, and others who work with or simply want to support our nation’s Veterans.
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