How Does VA Help Veterans at Risk of Homelessness?

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

February 16, 2026

VA considers Veterans at risk of homelessness if they will become homeless in the next 30 days.
These Veterans typically reside in permanent housing such as a leased unit, a house with a mortgage, a unit shared with others, or a hotel or motel not paid for by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations. They are also typically part of low-income households (i.e., below 80% of their community’s area median income).

But they can become at risk if they experience a hardship or crisis that will lead them to become homeless.

How VA prevents homelessness for at-risk Veterans

The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program is VA’s primary tool to prevent at-risk Veterans from becoming homeless.

SSVF’s prevention services provide individualized support, including:

• Crisis resolution to address the immediate risk of housing loss.
• Temporary financial assistance, which covers things like rental and utility arrears and other
• housing-related expenses.
• Case management that assists Veteran households in connecting to necessary resources to achieve long-term housing stability.

In fiscal year 2025, SSVF prevented 33,857 at-risk Veterans and their family members from becoming homeless.