The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced two significant grant opportunities aimed at assisting veterans experiencing homelessness. These initiatives are part of the broader efforts by the Biden-Harris administration to reduce homelessness across the nation.
The first of these grants is the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Grants. Within the coming year, VA will award hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations committed to rapidly rehouse veterans and their families, prevent imminent loss of a veteran’s home, or identify new, suitable housing situations for veterans and their families. The exact funding amount will be determined by VA’s budget.
The second grant is the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grants. VA will award over $26 million within the coming year to organizations providing legal representation and assistance to homeless veterans, including defense in criminal cases related to homelessness.
These announcements come after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the results of the 2023 Point-in-Time Count, an annual effort to estimate the number of Americans experiencing homelessness. The data indicates that on a single night in January 2023, there were 35,574 veterans experiencing homelessness, representing a 7.4% increase from 2022. This rise mirrors the overall increase in homelessness among all Americans, which saw a 12% increase over the same period.
However, the VA and the Biden-Harris administration remain committed to ending veteran homelessness. Since 2010, the estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 52.0%, and by 4.5% since 2020.
In 2023 alone, the VA has permanently housed 38,847 homeless veterans, surpassing its yearly goal two months early. The VA has also expanded access to healthcare and legal assistance for homeless veterans, helped over 145,000 veterans and their families avoid foreclosure, and awarded more than $1 billion in grant funding to assist homeless veterans.
As part of its efforts, the VA, in partnership with HUD, convened 10 national HUD-VA Supportive Housing boot camps. These intensive workshops aimed at enhancing coordination between local VA homeless program staff and public housing agencies across the country, leading to more efficient rehousing efforts through the HUD-VASH program. In 2023, this program helped over 13,000 veterans exit homelessness and secure permanent, affordable housing with supportive services.
The VA plans to investigate potential barriers contributing to the rise in homelessness among veterans, including housing costs and the end of COVID-related supports. The department is committed to leveraging all available resources to help veterans overcome these obstacles.
For more information on the SSVF grant opportunity, the legal services for homeless veterans grant opportunity, and VA’s comprehensive efforts to end veteran homelessness, visit VA.gov/homeless.
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