PLAINS TWP. — U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough on Thursday said no person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness.
"As a result of this year's efforts, more than 43,000 formerly homeless veterans now have access to the homes that they deserve," McDonough said. "And make no mistake — we won't rest until every Veteran has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home to call their own."
The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center announced Thursday that it has housed 217 veterans experiencing homelessness in its 19-county service area this fiscal year.
A total of 94% of these veterans have not returned to homelessness, and 169 unsheltered veterans in the network have been engaged to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need.
Nationally, during this same time period, the VA housed 43,116 veterans experiencing homelessness — surpassing its fiscal year 2024 goal to house 41,000 veterans a month earlier than anticipated.
The VA report stated that a total of 96.3% of the veterans housed have not returned to homelessness, and 38,476 unsheltered veterans have been engaged nationally.
McDonough said preventing and eliminating veteran homelessness is a top priority for the VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration. Between 2022 and 2023, the VA permanently housed nearly 87,000 veterans.
As a result of these efforts, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010.
A news release from the VA in Washington D.C., said the VA and the entire administration have taken considerable steps this year to combat veteran homelessness.
This week, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released the federal government's first-ever framework for homelessness prevention and launched a new series spotlighting local and federal efforts to prevent homelessness.
Last month, the VA awarded more than $800 million in grants via its Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem programs, and in July, awarded over $26 million in grants to support legal services for veterans facing homelessness.
Additionally, last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the VA announced policy changes that will help more veterans receive housing assistance under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
McDonough said the VA's efforts to combat veteran homelessness are grounded in reaching out to homeless veterans, understanding their unique needs, and addressing them.
He said these efforts are built on the evidence-based "Housing First" approach, which prioritizes getting a veteran into housing, then providing or connecting them with the wraparound services and supports they need to stay housed, including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.
The VA news release also said that every day, VA staff and VA's community partners nationwide help veterans find permanent housing, such as apartments or houses to rent or own, often with subsidies to help make the housing affordable. In some cases, VA staff and partners help veterans end their homelessness by reuniting them with family and friends.
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