The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded $800 million in grants to help local organizations quickly move homeless veterans into rental housing, keep veterans in their homes through financial hardship, and fund supportive services for veterans to continue living independently. (VA.gov)
WASHINGTON — More than $800 million in grants were awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs to community nonprofits to help them find housing rapidly for veterans who are homeless or at immediate risk of losing their homes.
The VA said Friday that it will award 239 grants valued at $797.5 million to help local organizations quickly move homeless veterans into rental housing, keep veterans in their homes through financial hardship, and fund supportive services for veterans who require extra help to continue living independently.
The nonprofits are critical resources for veterans and their families who need assistance to pay their rent, put a down payment on an apartment or cover moving costs, the VA said.
In addition, the VA is awarding 14 grants valued at $8.9 million to help community nonprofits fund temporary stays at motels, boarding houses and other facilities that provide short-term placement for homeless veterans waiting for a subsidized apartment unit to become available.
The grants also will help pay for social workers, known as case managers, who assist veterans in applying for benefits and connecting them with job training, education resources and emergency financial help with bills, among other services.
For fiscal 2024, VA funding for homeless programs is $3.1 billion, which is expected to increase to $3.21 billion in 2025. Funding spans housing vouchers, rental assistance and other forms of support, the VA said.
The VA has increased efforts in 2024 to provide immediate housing placement for veterans combined with services to help them stay in the housing, the agency said.
“These efforts are built on the evidence-based ‘housing first’ approach that prioritizes housing veterans, followed by providing them with the wraparound support to stay housed — health care, job training, legal and education assistance and more,” said Terrence Hayes, the VA press secretary.
The number of homeless veterans rose by 7.4% in 2023 from the previous year, according to a yearly one-night census conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
More than 300,000 people seek homeless services from the VA each year, according to congressional lawmakers.
