April 2, 2015
Veterans and Homelessness
175), targets GPD funds to specific groups of veterans,
The federal government assists homeless veterans through a
including women, elderly veterans, terminally or
number of targeted federal programs, and in 2009 the
mentally ill veterans, and veterans with children.
Obama Administration announced a plan to end veteran
• Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF):
homelessness by FY2015. This In Focus describes the
SSVF funds grants for supportive services to assist very
major federal programs that assist homeless veterans,
low-income veterans and their families who are either
funding for select programs, and the number and
residing in permanent housing or transitioning from
characteristics of veterans experiencing homelessness. For
homelessness. Eligible services include assistance with
more information, see CRS Report RL34024, Veterans and
rent, utility or moving costs, outreach, case
Homelessness, by Libby Perl.
management, and help with obtaining VA and other
Federal Programs for Homeless
mainstream benefits. The program is authorized at $300
Veterans
million through FY2015 by P.L. 113-175.
• Acquired Property Sales for Homeless Veterans: The
Programs to assist homeless veterans are funded through
VA is authorized to sell, lease, lease with the option to
three agencies: the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
buy, or donate properties to nonprofit organizations and
Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Housing
state government agencies that will use the property as
and Urban Development (HUD).
homeless shelters for veterans and their families. The
program is authorized through FY2015 by P.L. 113-175.
VA Programs
•
DOL Programs
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV): Through
HCHV, VA medical center staff conduct outreach to
• Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP):
homeless veterans, provide care and treatment for
HVRP grantees provide services to veterans including
medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorders, and
outreach, assistance in interview preparation, job search,
refer veterans for supportive services. The HCHV
job training, and follow-up assistance after placement.
program is authorized through FY2015 (P.L. 112-154).
The program is authorized at $50 million through
•
FY2015 (P.L. 113-175). A separate HVRP targets
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV):
women veterans and veterans with children and is
DCHV (first funded through P.L. 100-71) provides
authorized through FY2015 at $1 million (P.L. 111-
rehabilitative services for physically and mentally ill or
275).
aged veterans who need assistance, but are not in need
of the level of care offered by hospitals and nursing
• Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program: Most
homes. Through DCHV, veterans receive medical,
recently authorized through FY2015 (P.L. 113-175),
psychiatric, and substance abuse treatment, and
grantee organizations through the Incarcerated Veterans
vocational rehabilitation services.
Transition program provide job training and placement
•
services to veterans who are leaving prison.
Compensated Work Therapy/ Transitional
Residence Program (CWT/TR): CWT gives veterans
Figure 1. Funding for Select Programs
with disabilities work experience and skills so that they
may re-enter the workforce and maintain employment
VA Obligations and DOL Budget Authority, FY2004-FY2014
on their own. The Transitional Residence (TR)
component to CWT provides housing to CWT
participants who have mental illnesses or chronic
substance abuse disorders and who are homeless or at
risk of homelessness. The TR component of CWT is
authorized through FY2015 (P.L. 113-175).
• Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD): GPD
authorizes the VA to make grants to public entities or
private nonprofit organizations to provide services and
transitional housing to homeless veterans. The program
is authorized at $250 million in FY2015 and subsequent
years (P.L. 113-175).
• GPD for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs:
GPD for homeless veterans with special needs,
authorized at $5 million through FY2015 (P.L. 113-

Source: VA and DOL Budget Justifications.
www.crs.gov | 7-5700

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Veterans and Homelessness
HUD and VA Collaborative Program
figure does not represent all VA funding and includes DOL
budget authority.) During the same period, healthcare
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-
obligations for homeless veterans have increased from $2.5
VASH): Through HUD-VASH, homeless veterans receive
billion to $5.0 billion. The number of veterans reported to
rental assistance in the form of Section 8 vouchers from
be experiencing homelessness has also declined.
HUD and supportive services from the VA. Begun as a
three-year inter-agency collaboration in the 1990s,
Numbers and Characteristics
Congress funded new VASH vouchers in each year from
FY2008-FY2015. The FY2015 appropriation law (P.L.
Based on HUD annual point-in-time (PIT) counts of
113-235) provided that funds be set aside for a
homeless individuals (taking place on one day during the
demonstration for Native American homeless or at-risk
last week of January each year), the number of homeless
veterans who are living on or near reservations.
veterans has declined from 74,050 in 2009 to 49,993 in
2014. See Figure 2.
HUD and VA together determine how vouchers are
allocated across the country. The majority of HUD-VASH
Note that the PIT count does not capture veterans who are
vouchers are tenant-based, meaning that veterans can use
homeless at other times during the year. HUD uses data
them to rent available units on the private rental market
from a sample of jurisdictions for full-year estimates of
(subject to program rules). A portion of the vouchers have
veterans experiencing homelessness, but the data only
been issued competitively as project-based vouchers and
include veterans who are sheltered (living in emergency
are attached to specific units of housing.
shelter or transitional housing), not those living on the street
or other places not meant for human habitation.
See Table 1 for funding and new VASH vouchers allocated
in each year. Funding supports VASH vouchers for one
As seen in Figure 2, in FY2009 not-quite 150,000 veterans
year, after which they are absorbed into the Section 8
were estimated to be homeless and living in emergency
account. Cumulatively, through FY2015, funds are
shelter or transitional housing. By FY2013 the number had
sufficient to support approximately 79,000 vouchers.
decreased to approximately 140,000 veterans.
Funding for HUD-VASH was last authorized in FY2011.
Figure 2. Number of Homeless Veterans
Table 1. HUD-VASH, Funding for New Vouchers
Amount
Provided
Tenant-
Project-
Fiscal
(dollars in
Based
Based
Year
millions)
Vouchers Vouchers
1992 17.9 750 —
1993 19.1 750 —
1994 18.4 700 —
2008 75.0
10,150 —
2009 75.0
10,290 —
2010 75.0
9,510 676
2011 50.0
6,815 99

2012 75.0
10,450 — Source: HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Reports to Congress.
2013 75.0
9,865 956 According to HUD data, homeless veterans living in
2014 75.0
8,276 730 emergency shelter and transitional housing are primarily
2015 75.0 a
a
men (91%) and the majority (54%) have a disability. While
more than half of all veterans are age 62 and older (54%),
Source: Appropriations laws and HUD notices. See CRS Report
veterans in the 31-50 and 51-61 age groups make up 36%
RL34024, Veterans and Homelessness, by Libby Perl for ful citations.
and 43% of the homeless veteran population, respectively.
a. Not yet distributed.
African American veterans are overrepresented compared
Plan to End Veteran Homelessness
to their percentages in the overall veteran population—39%
of homeless veterans are African American (compared to
In 2009 the VA announced a plan to end veteran
11% of all veterans). Non-Hispanic white veterans are
homelessness by the end of FY2015. From the time the
underrepresented, making up 80% of all veterans but 50%
announcement was made to the present, obligations for
of homeless veterans.
targeted VA homeless veterans programs have increased
from $376 million in FY2009 to an estimated $1.4 billion in
Libby Perl, eperl@crs.loc.gov, 7-7806
FY2015. (See Figure 1 for funding for select homeless

veteran programs from FY2004 to FY2014. Note that the
IF10167
www.crs.gov | 7-5700

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