VA: Phoenix veterans to see improved social outreach services and support
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The Department of Veterans Affairs is announcing its 2024 goals in support of its efforts to prevent and end veteran homelessness in Phoenix.
Officials there say in fiscal year 2024, the VA will:
- Place at least 922 veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.
- Ensure that at least 95% of the veterans housed in FY 2024 do not return to homelessness during the year.
- Engage with at least 835 unsheltered veterans to help them obtain housing and other wraparound services.
Ending veteran homelessness is a top priority of VA and the entire Biden Administration.
Thus far this year (as of January 31), VA has already housed 363 homeless veterans in Phoenix.
Nationwide, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by nearly 5% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010.
“Even one veteran experiencing homelessness is a tragedy,” said VA Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher, who announced these goals today at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center. “We’ve made progress in recent years in tackling this problem, but there’s still a long way to go — and that’s why we’re setting these aggressive goals. We will not rest until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they swore to defend.”
Bryan Matthews, Phoenix VA Healthcare System Medical Center director, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Our top priority here at the Phoenix VA is to ensure every veteran receives worldclass care. This includes providing care to our homeless veteran population and ensuring they receive the care they deserve,” he said in a prepared statement.
VA: Phoenix veterans to see improved social outreach services and support
In recent years, VA has taken aggressive action to combat veteran homelessness.
In 2023, VA permanently housed more than 46,000 veterans, expanded access to health care for homeless veterans, expanded access to legal assistance for homeless veterans, helped more than 145,000 veterans and their families retain their homes.
“Whenever we get into contact with a homeless veteran, our first priority is to get them into the housing they deserve,” added Deputy Secretary Bradsher. “Then we work to provide them with the tools they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more. That’s how we’ll meet and exceed these goals in 2024.”
The VA has also released its nationwide goals for fiscal year 2024 today.
Specifically, VA will place at least 41,000 veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing; ensure that at least 95% of the veterans housed in FY 2024 do not return to homelessness during the year; and engage with at least 40,000 unsheltered veterans to help them obtain housing and other wraparound services.
In partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, VA also convened 10 national HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) bootcamps, in which local VA homeless program staff with public housing agencies from across the country participated in intensive two-day workshops to improve coordination to more quickly rehouse veterans.
During 2023, the HUD-VASH program helped over 21,000 veterans exit homelessness and obtain permanent affordable housing with supportive services.
