The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), HUD, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced on November 11 that veteran homelessness has dropped to its lowest level on record since the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count started tracking data about veteran homelessness in 2009. The PIT data represent a snapshot of homelessness on a single night.
Between January 2023 and January 2024, the number of veterans experiencing any form of homelessness dropped from 35,574 to 32,882, which represents a 7.5% drop since last year, an 11.7% drop since 2020, and a 55.6% drop since 2010. Among unsheltered veterans, the number dropped 10.7%, from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024. This news comes weeks after VA announced that it had permanently housed nearly 48,000 veterans this year alone, surpassing its goal by 16% (see Memo, 11/04).
This progress reflects the impact of policies adopted by the Biden-Harris administration to address veteran homelessness. These initiatives include grants amounting to more than $800 million from the VA to help homeless veterans, the release of strategies by the administration to end veteran homelessness, and the creation by the VA of the Legal Services for Veterans Grant Program to help veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness receive benefits, address legal issues, and prevent eviction, among other solutions. HUD has also worked to improve voucher eligibility, provide guidance, and help veterans transition into permanent housing with supportive services.
Read the HUD announcement at: https://tinyurl.com/mm694pcc