Veteran Homelessness Drops to Lowest on Record
By: Richa Goel, Policy & Legislative Affairs Data Analyst
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported today that veteran homelessness has dropped to its lowest level since HUD began publishing the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) data in 2009.
HUD’s 2024 PIT data, which will be released later this year, found that veterans experiencing any form of homelessness fell from 35,574 to 32,882, a 7.5% decrease from 2023, an 11.7% decrease from 2020, and a 55.6% decrease from 2010. Unsheltered veteran homelessness also fell from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024, a 10.7% decrease.
This decrease comes amid various nationwide efforts to combat veteran homelessness. The VA has permanently housed almost 48,000 veterans this year and as of the end of Fiscal Year 2024, the HUD-VASH program has served nearly 90,000 veterans, the most in the program’s history. The VA also awarded over $800 million in grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, HUD announced policy and other changes earlier this year aimed at helping veterans receive assistance, including:
- Increasing the initial income eligibility threshold
- Adopting an alternative definition of annual income
- Providing guidance to clarify income qualifications
- Hosting a series of “Boot Camps”
The full announcement can be found here.