A new report to Congress from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) finds that the number of veterans experiencing homelessness fell by 12% between January 2010 and January 2011, based on data from HUD’s 2011 Annual Homeless Assessment Report. Nonetheless, the latest Point-In-Time (PIT) count found 67,495 homeless veterans in January 2011. The annual PIT count is part of the ongoing federal plan to end homelessness among veterans by 2015. According to USICH, the reduction in homeless veterans between 2010 and 2011 is largely attributable to the effectiveness of homeless assistance programs, notably the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher program. The HUD-VASH program combines housing rental assistance vouchers from HUD with case management from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) targeting homeless veterans. The number of HUD-VASH vouchers expanded from 10,150 in FY08 to 48,400 in FY12. According to the USICH report, the expansion of this program has contributed to the reduction of veteran homelessness nationwide. The report also identifies several challenges facing the HUD-VASH program, including administrative capacity and costs, in addition to the difficulty of locating affordable, quality housing for veterans in rural areas. While a large proportion (68%) of homeless veterans live in urban areas, rural veterans tend to be older and face greater housing and health challenges. On average, veterans in rural areas must travel 24 miles to access VA medical facilities. The report identifies improving access to both housing and related services for veterans in rural and tribal communities as a priority. In order to improve access to housing and services available to homeless veterans, USICH recommends allocating additional HUD-VASH vouchers in FY13. In addition, USICH recommends more collaboration between HUD, the USDA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in order to address the housing needs of homeless veterans in rural and tribal communities. Lastly, USICH recommends funding additional resources to cover moving expenses for veterans using HUD-VASH vouchers, because security deposits remain a barrier to housing stability.Click here for the Report to Congress on Homeless Veterans.