{"id":1111,"date":"2025-02-11T08:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T08:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/?p=1111"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:47:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:47:14","slug":"how-we-can-end-veteran-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/how-we-can-end-veteran-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"How We Can End Veteran Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull va-page-title-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-179 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/academic-affiliations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/05\/Hero2.png?w=1024\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#085795\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-left\">Featured Article<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<form role=\"search\" method=\"get\" action=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/\" class=\"wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__text-button wp-block-search\" ><label class=\"wp-block-search__label\" for=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" >Search Articles<\/label><div class=\"wp-block-search__inside-wrapper\" ><input class=\"wp-block-search__input\" id=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" placeholder=\"\" value=\"\" type=\"search\" name=\"s\" required \/><button aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"wp-block-search__button wp-element-button\" type=\"submit\" >Search<\/button><\/div><\/form>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How We Can End Veteran Homelessness<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #0073aa\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-0073-aa-background-color has-background\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Shawn Liu, National Homeless Program Manager for the VA Homeless Programs Office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Tuesday, February 11, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"832\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20250211_end-homelessness.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a suitcase opening the front door to a house\" class=\"wp-image-1113\" style=\"width:900px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20250211_end-homelessness.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20250211_end-homelessness.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20250211_end-homelessness.jpg?resize=768,499 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20250211_end-homelessness.jpg?resize=1024,666 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2010,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/home\/about-homeless-programs\/ending-veteran-homelessness\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"488\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">85 communities and 3 states<\/a>&nbsp;have effectively ended Veteran homelessness. Through hard work and dedication, they created a roadmap to success that we can all follow as we try to build a world without Veteran homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among all the lessons learned, one thing stood out\u2014the importance of bringing all of the different programs and services together into a single, unified, community\u2010wide homeless response. When programs and services worked together instead of making individual decisions, those experiencing homelessness were more efficiently connected with stable housing and supportive services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To do so, communities used&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/featured-articles\/how-coordinated-entry-serves-veterans-experiencing-or-at-risk-of-homelessness\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"780\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coordinated entry<\/a>&nbsp;(CE), leveraging cooperation between local homeless agencies and service providers and creating a standard set of guiding principles so homeless service providers could make consistent decisions about combining resources and using them effectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comprehensive services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Communities and states that successfully ended Veteran homelessness also took full advantage of the wide array of services VA offers, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prevention services that keep Veterans from becoming homeless<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outreach services that provide the front doors to homeless programs and the broader VA health care system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interim, emergency, or transitional housing for Veterans who need a place to stay right now<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Permanent housing services that come with rental subsidies, case management, and treatment to ensure Veterans have all the necessary resources to stay housed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Effective communities also regularly reviewed available resources and took advantage of opportunities to \u201cright size\u201d their response by requesting more resources or by modifying existing resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strong leadership teams<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local leadership teams were tasked with overseeing effective coordination and collaboration among community partners, allowing them to fully utilize all outreach, interim housing, permanent housing, and treatment resources in a community. Teams consisted of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Representatives from the VA Medical Center homeless programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>VA-funded grantees and contractors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Local Continuums of Care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nonprofits working to end Veteran homelessness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Formerly homeless Veterans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public housing agencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Veteran service organizations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Municipal and state government entities and elected officials<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>State and local departments of mental health, public health, housing, and human services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They met regularly to set measurable goals, review data to keep themselves accountable, and identify opportunities to streamline processes or provide policy flexibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Real-time data through by-name lists (BNLs)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Successful communities had to figure out a way to account for all Veterans experiencing homelessness in order to provide necessary housing and assistance to all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To do so, they used BNLs, which provided the information and transparency they needed to develop a housing and service plan for every Veteran. Effective BNLs allowed communities to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Account for every Veteran by name and ensure they had a coordinated housing and service plan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand in real time how many Veterans entered and exited homelessness each month (commonly referred to as inflow and outflow), which helps allocate resources so outflow is high enough to reduce homelessness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set benchmarks to continuously improve efforts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture of continuous improvement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combining BNL data with a culture dedicated to continuously improving helped to enhance community\u2010wide homeless response systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A culture of continuous improvement featured shared goals, a spirit of collaboration, a commitment to transparency and accountability, a dedication to knowledge, psychological safety for staff, and structured problem\u2010solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staff could focus on improvements, like increasing the number of Veterans who exit homelessness to permanent housing each month, by improving success rates of program interventions or decreasing the average number of days from when the system identifies a Veteran as homeless to when they exit to permanent housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Working as One Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can now take everything we learned from these communities and states to continue building on decades of success in reducing the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since we know that a coordinated response is most critical to success, we\u2019ve implemented our One Team approach, which aims to remove barriers to collaboration both within VA and with our network of community partners. Explore more best practices for ending Veteran homelessness in our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/one-team-toolkit\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"770\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One Team Approach Implementation Toolkit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:33px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-67de619e\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-blue-icon-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/7-essential-elements-to-end-veteran-homelessness\/\">Learn more about the seven essential elements for ending Veteran homelessness<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group va-section-title va-section-title-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact VA for help<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #005EA2\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-ff-5500-background-color has-background\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, we strongly encourage you to contact the <strong>National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at <a href=\"tel:+18774243838\">877-424-3838<\/a><\/strong> for assistance.<br><br>The call is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained professionals are standing by to connect you to your nearest VA for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-blue-icon-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Chat with a live professional now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1385\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png\" alt=\"National Call Center for Homeless Veterans logo. 877-424-3838\" class=\"wp-image-5628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png 1385w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=300,130 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=768,333 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=1024,444 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Among all the lessons learned over the last decade, one thing stood out\u2014the importance of bringing all of the different programs and services together into a single, unified, community\u2010wide homeless 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