WASHINGTON — Ending veterans' homelessness is a top priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), with VA Secretary Denis McDonough saying: "No person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness."
This week, the department announced that it has housed more than 43,000 veterans this fiscal year, surpassing the stated goal of 41,000. Furthermore, the VA reports that the estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by 52% since 2010.
Still, the news isn't all good.
Last year, the annual Department of Housing and Urban Development "Point in Time" survey showed that the number of homeless veterans jumped by more than 7.4% in 2023.
Researchers found that in one single night in January of that year, there were more than 35,000 veterans without a home.
"We do have a lot of work left to do," said VA Chief of Staff Meg Kabat.
In an interview Thursday with 13News Now, Kabat said the department's efforts to combat veteran homelessness are grounded in a strategy called the "Housing First" approach.
"When we find a veteran who does not have housing, then we work with them to find that housing without a lot of rules, without a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork and all those kinds of things. We get them into that temporary housing so that they can get their feet under them, feel safe, feel comfortable," she said.
In a post on the social media platform X, Secretary McDonough said: "We will not rest until all veterans have access to safe and stable housing."