Homeless Aging and Disabled Veterans Initiative

By Shawn Liu, National Homeless Program Manager, Homeless Programs Office

August 9, 2024

As homeless Veterans age or face health challenges beyond their years, they need additional support to secure safe affordable housing to meet their wants and needs. With the number of aging and disabled homeless Veterans rising, VA’s Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) has partnered with the Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) program to develop the Homeless Aging and Disabled Veterans Initiative.

The initiative enables Veterans with chronic, complex health needs to age in place or transition more seamlessly to higher levels of care, helping to:

• Help Veterans to stay in the communities of their choosing.
• Create safe care settings that address aging and disability in the least restrictive environment.
• Maximize functional independence.
• Decrease the chances of returning to homelessness.

How it works

We’re seeking to better integrate home and community health care, social services, and permanent supportive housing and find innovative ways to use existing resources or forge new partnerships.

The initiative focuses on 4 key strategies:

• Increasing access to home and community care supportive services that can be provided by GEC and community partners.
• Developing housing options to assist with using HUD-VASH vouchers in specialized programs and care settings.
• Expanding the use of HUD-VASH project-based vouchers with enhanced services provided where Veterans live.
• Proactively developing partnerships with community agencies.

Impact to date

Check out these stories on Veterans who have benefited from this initiative.