VA-DOJ Memorandum of Understanding on Guardianship Threatens to Strip Rights from Homeless Veterans
Mar 30, 2026
By Alayna Calabro, NLIHC Senior Policy Analyst
The U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Justice (DOJ) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 11 that could strip veterans, particularly those experiencing homelessness, of the right to make their own health care decisions. Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are among the targeted population. NLIHC strongly opposes the VA-DOJ initiative.
The agreement allows VA attorneys to initiate and participate in guardianship or conservatorship proceedings in state courts against veterans. According to a DOJ website, “guardianship results in the removal of an individual’s legal rights and restricts their rights to make their own decisions…Guardianship should be limited to situations where there are no other reasonable ways to meet the individuals’ needs.”
The unprecedented agreement between VA and DOJ creates a pathway for stripping veterans experiencing homelessness of their autonomy rather than addressing the root causes of homelessness. The initiative comes amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to withdraw federal support for needed homelessness solutions and force people experiencing homelessness into jails and other institutions.
Pairing rental assistance with voluntary supportive services has been instrumental in reducing veteran homelessness by 11% since 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010. Despite this progress, the Trump administration has worked to slash funding for permanent housing and mandate treatment programs for people experiencing homelessness, putting veterans and others at risk of housing instability, forced institutionalization, and homelessness. Guardianship and involuntary treatment are not solutions to homelessness; instead, policymakers should expand access to affordable housing, health care, and community-based services.
Read the MOU here.