By-Name List Guidance
No Veteran should be homeless in the country they swore an oath to defend. That is why it is our responsibility to ensure that anyone who has served our nation has access to high-quality housing and health care services.
To fulfill this duty, we must identify all Veterans experiencing homelessness and track their progress in receiving housing and other forms of assistance. Thus, starting in Fiscal Year 2026, VA is amplifying its expectations related to by-name lists (BNLs) to reflect this priority.
This page provides links to VA BNL Guidance documents, including By-Name List Management, Prioritization, Case Conferencing, and a Standard Operating Procedure Template.
Purpose of the BNL
To reach an end to Veteran homelessness, communities must have a full account of all Veterans who are experiencing literal homelessness. BNL management practices have a direct effect on a given community’s ability to end homelessness among Veterans. A quality BNL assists in understanding the universe of people for whom VA and VA-funded programs are looking to provide support and aid that link those Veterans to housing and resources.
At its core, a quality BNL supports care coordination, efficient system operations, and local prioritization, referral, and case conferencing protocol. When all Veterans are captured on a BNL, they are less likely to slip through the cracks, and VA has greater visibility in how to best engage those Veterans.
Request support
If you have questions or need support, reach out to your local Network Homeless Coordinator, Regional Coordinator, and/or existing Technical Assistance provider.
You can also email VHABNLSupport@va.gov with any questions you may have.
Resources
Guidance available to support VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and partners
To support VAMCs and their One Team partners to best serve Veterans experiencing homelessness, the VA has created guidance documents to support the management of the BNL, including prioritization and case conferencing guidance.
The guidance documents will support communities in developing or refining local policies and establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that enable proactive, coordinated, and informed decision-making. Local policies should guide how housing resources are prioritized and case conferencing is conducted, ensuring efforts are targeted effectively to reach an end to Veteran homelessness as measured by the One Team Operational Framework.
- By-Name List Management Guidance: This document guides BNL Management to assist sites with the development of a standard operating procedure.
- NEW: Case Conferencing Guidance: This document guides using case conferencing sessions to help connect Veterans monitored on BNLs to care and housing.
- Frequently Asked Questions: This page provides answers to frequently asked questions about this initiative.
- Continuum of Care Frequently Asked Questions: This page provides answers to Continuum of Care partners’ frequently asked questions about this initiative.