WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant move to combat veteran homelessness, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a funding opportunity that offers around $5 million per year for up to two years. The funds are designed to assist veterans who are either experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless.
This financial aid is available through the VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, a system extending support to eligible community organizations. These organizations play a crucial role in providing transitional housing and case management services to veterans, connecting them with VA benefits, community-based services, and permanent housing solutions.
The special needs grants target homeless veterans who may be women, elderly, terminally ill, chronically mentally ill, or those caring for minor dependents. This initiative marks another step in the VA and President Biden’s ongoing campaign to end veteran homelessness—a key component of the President’s Unity Agenda for the nation.
Additionally, the VA also recently reported that it had successfully housed 46,552 homeless veterans in 2023, overshooting its initial goal to house 38,000 veterans by 22.5%. These efforts have resulted in a considerable decrease in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, showcasing a drop of 4% since early 2020 and more than a 52% reduction since 2010.
“We won’t rest until every veteran has the safe, stable home that they deserve,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said. “These grants will allow the VA — alongside community organizations —to help provide housing and wraparound services to more homeless and at-risk veterans.”
The VA’s strategy to tackle veteran homelessness revolves around reaching out to homeless veterans, understanding their unique needs, and addressing them. These initiatives are based on the evidence-backed “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes securing housing for veterans before introducing additional support services. These wraparound supports include healthcare, job training, legal assistance, education assistance, and more. The initiative is a part of the broader Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to reduce homelessness.
Only the 16 existing special need grantees are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. The awards will fund two years of operations starting from the fiscal year 2025 on Oct. 1, 2024, and ending on Sept. 30, 2026. The VA has set a deadline for grant applications to be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 15, 2024.
This new funding opportunity underscores the VA’s commitment to ending homelessness among veterans—a group that has served the nation and deserves the utmost care and support in return. Through these initiatives, the VA continues to work tirelessly to ensure that every veteran has a safe and stable place to call home.
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