Initially serving as a mechanism to contract with providers for community-based residential treatment for homeless Veterans, many Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) programs now serve as the hub for a myriad of housing and other services that provide VA with a way to reach and assist homeless Veterans by offering them entry to VA care.

Outreach is the core of the HCHV program. The central goal is to reduce homelessness among Veterans by conducting outreach to those who are the most vulnerable and not currently receiving services and engaging them in treatment and rehabilitative programs.

Another aspect of HCHV is the Contract Residential Treatment program, which places Veterans with serious mental health diagnoses into quality, community-based, supportive housing.