Updated October 15, 2018
Veterans and Homelessness
The federal government assists homeless veterans through a
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF):
number of targeted federal programs. This In Focus
SSVF funds grants for supportive services to assist very
describes the major federal programs that assist homeless
low-income veterans and their families who are either
veterans, 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
mainstream benefits. The program is authorized at $380
Federal Programs for Homeless
million through FY2019 by P.L. 115-251.
Veterans
Programs to assist homeless veterans are funded through
DOL Programs
three agencies: the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs
Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Housing
(HVRP): HVRP grantees provide services to veterans
and Urban Development (HUD).
including outreach, assistance in interview preparation,
VA Programs
job search, job training, and follow-up assistance after
placement. The program is authorized at $50 million
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV): Through
through FY2020 (P.L. 115-251). A separate HVRP
HCHV, VA medical center staff conduct outreach to
targets women veterans and veterans with children and
homeless veterans; provide care and treatment for
is authorized through FY2020 at $1 million (P.L. 115-
medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorders; and
251).
refer veterans for supportive services. The HCHV
program is authorized through FY2020 (P.L. 115-251).
Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program: The
Incarcerated Veterans Transition program funds grantee
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV):
organizations to provide job training and placement
DCHV (first funded through P.L. 100-71) provides
services to veterans who are leaving prison. It is
rehabilitative services for physically and mentally ill or
authorized through FY2020 (P.L. 115-251).
aged veterans who need assistance, but are not in need
of the level of care offered by hospitals and nursing
Figure 1. Funding for Select Programs
homes. Through DCHV, veterans receive medical,
VA Obligations and DOL Budget Authority, FY2005-FY2017
psychiatric, and substance use treatment, and vocational
rehabilitation services.
Compensated Work Therapy/ Transitional
Residence Program (CWT/TR): CWT gives veterans
with disabilities work experience and skills so that they
may re-enter the workforce and maintain employment
on their own. The TR component to CWT provides
housing to CWT participants who have mental illnesses
or chronic substance use disorders and who are
homeless or at risk of homelessness. The TR component
of CWT is authorized through FY2020 (P.L. 115-251).
Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD): GPD
Source: VA and DOL Budget Justifications.
authorizes the VA to make grants to public entities or
private nonprofit organizations to provide services and
HUD and VA Collaborative Program
transitional housing to homeless veterans, with a focus
on achieving permanent housing. The program is
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-
authorized at $258 million in FY2015 and subsequent
VASH): Through HUD-VASH, homeless veterans receive
years (P.L. 114-228).
rental assistance in the form of Section 8 vouchers from
HUD and supportive services from the VA. Begun as a
GPD for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs:
three-year inter-agency collaboration in the 1990s,
GPD for homeless veterans with special needs,
Congress has funded new VASH vouchers in each year
authorized at $5 million through FY2020 (P.L. 115-
from FY2008-FY2018. Appropriations for vouchers exceed
251), targets GPD funds to specific groups of veterans,
amounts authorized in law; funding for HUD-VASH was
including women, elderly veterans, terminally or
last authorized in FY2011.
mentally ill veterans, and veterans with children.
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Veterans and Homelessness
HUD and VA together determine how vouchers are
experiencing homelessness has declined, as described in the
allocated across the country. The majority of HUD-VASH
next section.
vouchers are tenant-based, meaning that veterans can use
them to rent available units on the private rental market
Numbers and Characteristics
(subject to program rules). A portion of the vouchers have
Based on HUD annual point-in-time (PIT) counts of
been issued competitively as project-based vouchers and
homeless individuals (taking place on one day during the
are attached to specific units of housing. Funds to renew
last week of January each year), the number of homeless
vouchers after the first year are provided through the
veterans has declined from 73,367 in 2009 to 40,056 in
general Section 8 account.
2017. See Figure 2.
The FY2015 appropriations law (P.L. 113-235) provided
Note that the PIT count does not capture veterans who are
that funds be set aside for a demonstration for Native
homeless at other times during the year. HUD uses data
American homeless or at-risk veterans who are living on or
from a sample of jurisdictions for full-year estimates of
near reservations. In 2016, vouchers sufficient to serve 500
veterans experiencing homelessness, but the data only
veterans were awarded to 26 tribes. Funding has been
include veterans who are sheltered (living in emergency
renewed in subsequent appropriations bills.
shelter or transitional housing), not those living on the street
See Table 1 for funding and new VASH vouchers allocated
or other places not meant for human habitation.
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 FY2018, funds were
shelter or transitional housing. By FY2016 the number had
sufficient to support more than 90,000 vouchers.
decreased to approximately 125,000 veterans.
Table 1. HUD-VASH, Funding for New Vouchers
Figure 2. Number of Homeless Veterans
Amount
Provided
Tenant-
Project-
Fiscal
(dollars in
Based
Based
Year
millions)
Vouchers
Vouchers
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
—
2013
75.0
9,865
956
2014
75.0
8,276
730
Source: HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Reports (AHARs) to
2015
75.0
9,333
821
Congress.
2016
60.0
5,906
2,134
Note: PIT estimates for 2009-2014 were revised as part of the 2015
AHAR.
2017
40.0
5,211
—
According to HUD data, homeless veterans living in
2018
40.0
4,077
—
emergency shelter and transitional housing are primarily
Source: Appropriations laws and HUD notices.
men (91%) and the majority (55%) have a disability. While
more than half of all veterans are age 62 and older (55%),
Ending Veteran Homelessness
veterans in the 31-50 and 51-61 age groups make up 32%
and 43% of the homeless veteran population, respectively.
In 2009, the VA announced a plan to end veteran
Veterans age 62 and older make up 16% of the homeless
homelessness by the end of FY2015. While the VA did not
veteran population, and those in the 18-30 age group make
reach its goal within that time, it continues to focus on
up 9% of the total population. African American veterans
reducing the number of veterans experiencing
are overrepresented compared to their percentages in the
homelessness. From the time the announcement was made
overall veteran population—38% of homeless veterans are
to the present, obligations for targeted VA homeless
African American (compared to 11% of all veterans). Non-
veterans programs have increased from $376 million in
Hispanic white veterans are underrepresented, making up
FY2009 to more than $1.5 billion in FY2017. Figure 1
78% of all veterans but approximately 50% of homeless
shows funding for select homeless veteran programs from
veterans.
FY2005 to FY2017. (Note that the figure does not represent
all VA funding and includes DOL budget authority.)
Libby Perl, eperl@crs.loc.gov, 7-7806
During the same period, healthcare obligations for homeless
veterans have increased from $2.5 billion to $5.3 billion. As
IF10167
funding for homeless veteran programs and healthcare has
increased, the number of veterans reported to be
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