Updated February 15, 2022
Veterans and Homelessness
The federal government assists veterans experiencing
residing in permanent housing or transitioning from
homelessness through a number of targeted federal
homelessness. Eligible services include assistance with
programs. This In Focus describes the major federal
rent, utility or moving costs, outreach, case
programs that assist homeless veterans, funding for select
management, and help with obtaining VA and other
programs, and the number and characteristics of veterans
mainstream benefits. The program is authorized at $420
experiencing homelessness.
million through FY2022 by P.L. 116-159.
Federal Programs for Homeless
Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO): VJO specialists
Veterans
reach out to veterans who are involved in the criminal
Programs to assist homeless veterans are funded through
justice system for matters not resulting in imprisonment
three agencies: the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
to ensure that they have access to VA mental health and
Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Housing
substance use treatment and other VA benefits for which
and Urban Development (HUD).
they are eligible. In 2009, VA directed that each medical
center designate a VJO specialist pursuant to its
VA Programs
authority to prevent veteran homelessness.
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV): Through
DOL Programs
HCHV, VA medical center staff conduct outreach to
homeless veterans; provide care and treatment for
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs
medical, psychiatric, and substance use disorders; and
(HVRP): HVRP grantees provide services to veterans
refer veterans for supportive services. The HCHV
including outreach, assistance in interview preparation,
program is authorized through FY2022 (P.L. 116-159).
job search, job training, and follow-up assistance after
placement. The program is authorized at $50 million
Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV):
through FY2022 (P.L. 116-159). A separate HVRP
DCHV (first funded through P.L. 100-71) provides
targets women veterans and veterans with children and
rehabilitative services for physically and mentally ill or
is authorized through FY2022 at $1 million (P.L. 116-
aged veterans who need assistance, but are not in need
159).
of the level of care offered by hospitals and nursing
homes. Through DCHV, veterans receive medical,
Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program: The
psychiatric, and substance use treatment, and vocational
Incarcerated Veterans Transition program funds grantee
rehabilitation services. Authority for DCHV does not
organizations to provide job training and placement
expire.
services to veterans who are leaving prison. P.L. 116-
315 removed the program’s sunset date.
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
FY2005-FY2020
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 FY2022 (P.L. 116-159).
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, with a focus
on achieving permanent housing. The program is
authorized at $258 million in FY2015 and subsequent
years (P.L. 114-228).
Source: VA and DOL budget justifications. Created by CRS.
GPD for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs:
HUD and VA Collaborative Program
GPD for homeless veterans with special needs,
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-
authorized at $5 million through FY2022 (P.L. 116-
VASH): Through HUD-VASH, homeless veterans receive
159), targets GPD funds to specific groups of veterans,
rental assistance in the form of Section 8 vouchers from
including women, elderly veterans, terminally or
HUD and supportive services from the VA. Begun as a
mentally ill veterans, and veterans with children.
three-year inter-agency collaboration in the 1990s,
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF):
Congress has funded new VASH vouchers in each year
SSVF funds grants for supportive services to assist very
from FY2008-FY2021. Funding for HUD-VASH was last
low-income veterans and their families who are either
authorized in FY2011.
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Veterans and Homelessness
HUD and VA together determine how vouchers are
annual point-in-time (PIT) counts of homeless individuals
allocated across the country. The majority of HUD-VASH
who are both sheltered (living in emergency shelter or
vouchers are tenant-based, meaning that veterans can use
transitional housing) and unsheltered (living on the street or
them to rent available units on the private rental market
other places not meant for human habitation). The PIT
(subject to program rules). A small portion of the vouchers
count takes place on one day during the last week of
have been issued competitively as project-based vouchers
January each year. According to the PIT count, the number
and are attached to specific units of housing.
of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined from
73,367 in 2009 to 37,252 in 2020. See the lower line in
The FY2015 appropriations law (P.L. 113-235) provided
Figure 2.
that funds be set aside for a demonstration for Native
American homeless or at-risk veterans who are living on or
PIT data for 2021 only include the number of veterans
near reservations. In 2016, vouchers sufficient to serve 500
living in shelter and do not include those living on the street
veterans were awarded to 26 tribes. Funding has been
or other places not meant for human habitation. The number
renewed in subsequent appropriations, and HUD announced
of sheltered veterans in 2021 was 19,750, compared to
funding for approximately 95 new vouchers in 2021.
22,048 in 2020.
See Table 1 for total funding for new VASH vouchers and
The PIT count does not capture veterans who experience
the number of vouchers awarded. Funding supports VASH
homelessness at other times during the year. HUD uses data
vouchers for one year, after which they are absorbed into
from a sample of jurisdictions for full-year estimates of
the Section 8 account. Cumulatively, as of the date of this
veterans experiencing homelessness, but the data only
In Focus, funds were sufficient to support more than
include veterans who are sheltered (living in emergency
106,000 vouchers. (The number of vouchers currently
shelter or transitional housing), not those living on the street
available may differ from the amount that were initially
or other places not meant for human habitation.
awarded.)
In FY2009 149,635 veterans were estimated to be homeless
Table 1. HUD-VASH Vouchers, FY2008-FY2021
and living in emergency shelter or transitional housing over
$835 million
100,534
5,416
595
the course of the year. By FY2018, the most recent year in
appropriated
tenant-based
project-based
tribal
which data are available as of the date of this In Focus, the
for new
vouchers
vouchers
vouchers
number had decreased to 105,820 veterans. See the upper
vouchers
awarded
awarded
awarded
line in Figure 2.
Source: Appropriations laws and HUD funding announcements.
Figure 2. Number of Homeless Veterans
Resources to End Veteran Homelessness
In 2009, the VA announced a plan to end veteran
homelessness by the end of FY2015. While the VA did not
reach its goal within that time, it continues to focus on
reducing the number of veterans experiencing
homelessness. From the time the announcement was made,
obligations for targeted VA homeless veterans programs
have increased from $376 million in FY2009 to more than
$1.8 billion in FY2020 (as of the date of this In Focus, final
FY2021 obligations were not available). Figure 1 shows
funding for select homeless veteran programs. (Note that
the figure does not represent all VA funding and includes
DOL budget authority.) During the same period, healthcare
Source: HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Reports (AHARs) to
obligations for homeless veterans have increased from $2.5
Congress, https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/
billion to nearly $7.8 billion. Additional funding, not
ahar/. Created by CRS.
reflected in Figure 1, was also appropriated to assist
According to HUD data from FY2018 full-year estimates,
veterans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
veterans living in emergency shelter and transitional
Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136). See
housing are primarily men (92%) and the majority (66%)
Table 2.
have a disability. While nearly 60% of all veterans are age
Table 2. CARES Act Funding for VA Programs
65 and older (59%), veterans in the 45-54 and 55-64 age
VA Program
$ in Millions
groups make up 62% of the homeless veteran population
(23% and 39%, respectively). African American veterans
Supportive Services for Veteran Families
602
are overrepresented compared to their percentages in the
Grant and Per Diem Program
88
overall veteran population—40% of homeless veterans are
Health Care for Homeless Veterans
10
African American (compared to about 10% of all veterans).
Source: VA funding announcements.
Non-Hispanic White veterans are underrepresented, making
up 81% of all veterans but approximately 49% of homeless
Numbers and Characteristics
veterans.
As funding for homeless veteran programs and healthcare
has increased, the number of veterans reported to be
Libby Perl, Specialist in Housing Policy
experiencing homelessness has declined. HUD directs
IF10167
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Veterans and Homelessness
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