VA Homeless Programs
Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office
October 2024
Funding the fight against Veteran homelessness is a bit like putting together a puzzle. There are several pieces—of all different shapes and sizes—that need to fit together to arrive at the picture you see on the front of the box.
For the fiscal year (FY) that just began, FY 2025, the full picture is $3.2 billion—a significant investment in ending the tragedy of Veteran homelessness. With such a large figure, it’s understandable that people want to know where the money is going.
There are a couple of ways to sort our puzzle pieces. First, we can break them down by six types of interventions and services that make up our budget:
- Permanent housing supportive services that provide Veterans with access to affordable housing and intensive case management to help them remain stably housed
- Prevention services to keep Veterans from becoming homeless in the first place
- Transitional housing that provides Veterans with temporary, safe places to stay during their search for permanent housing
- Treatment, such as health care, mental health care, and residential rehabilitative care
- Employment and job training to help Veterans obtain meaningful employment
- Administrative costs to support our work and fund research
I listed them in order from the largest to smallest chunk of the budget. At the top, permanent housing supportive services—encompassing the wraparound services that we provide to Veterans housed through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program—comes in at $1.1 billion, or 35% of the budget. At the bottom of the list, administrative costs amount to $31 million, or 1%.
Another way to sort our puzzle is by category. Our budget ultimately pays for:
- Direct services staff and operational costs for local patient care (61%)
- Grants and contracts for direct services (34%)
- Miscellaneous (4%)
- National administrative staff and operating costs for local patient care (1%)
You’ll see that direct services account for the largest portion, coming in at $2 billion. This category represents the more than 6,800 social workers, peer specialists, nurses, program support assistants, and other health professionals who work directly with homeless Veterans, as well as funding for all associated patient care-related operating costs. This is a central part of our work, and so, it is a central part of our budget.
Since we couldn’t do any of this without the help of community partners, the next largest chunk of $1.1 billion goes to them. It funds grants and contracts for nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and consumer cooperatives that help with homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and case management.
No matter which way you choose to look at it, these pieces come together to form the whole—allowing us to tackle Veteran homelessness from all angles.
As we review the budget for the upcoming FY 2025, reflecting on the “how” for the work we do, we can’t forget the “why.”
Last week, we recognized World Homeless Day on October 10. VA is fighting to end Veteran homelessness because it is our nation’s duty to ensure all Veterans have a place to call home—and while we have made significant progress, there is still work to be done.
VA is continuously working to open doors for Veterans experiencing homelessness, creating numerous assistance pathways that can lead them to the resources, support, and community they need to thrive. If you or a Veteran you know needs stability, support, or even just hope for the future, VA is here to help.
Read our helpful infographic to find out how you or a Veteran you know can access the supportive services VA has available. Each option symbolizes an opportunity for a Veteran to access stable housing and supportive services and start to rebuild their life.
All they have to do is choose a path.
