Homeless camp in Pittsburg PA - March 2024. Image: Zsuzsi Matolcsy/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffHomelessness among veterans declined 7.5 percent since 2023, the VA has announced, based on an annual count on a single night in January of those sheltered and unsheltered.
The statistic, provided by the Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development departments and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, also showed that the number of homeless veterans has declined by 11.7 percent since 2020 and 55.6 percent since 2010. The government began tracking veterans’ homelessness in 2009.
The 2024 number represents a Point-in-Time count – an annual assessment of veterans who are in or out of shelters on a given night in January. Data indicated that 32,882 veterans were homeless in the U.S. this past January, compared to 35,574 a year earlier. Some 13,851 were not in shelters, compared to 15,507 in 2023.
Roughly 48,000 homeless veterans were permanently housed in fiscal year 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024), bringing the total amount of veterans who got housing since 2022 to 134,000, VA announced.
“No veteran should experience homelessness in this country they swore to defend,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said. “We still have a long way to go, but we will not stop until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home.”
VA Homeless Programs and Assistance:
If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance.
You can also call or visit your local VA Medical Center or Community Resource and Referral Center where VA staff are ready to help.
Shutdown Stalls Hegseth’s Reforms on Two Fronts as Pentagon Accelerates Cuts
Army Issues New Grooming Policy
Pentagon Orders New Task Force, Disbands Counter‑Drone Office
Trump to move Space Command headquarters out of Colorado
Civilian FERS Now? How to Buy Back Your Military Time if You Stand to Gain
Credit for Military Service for Federal Retirement Annuities
