{"id":2103,"date":"2021-12-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/?p=2103"},"modified":"2026-03-12T18:58:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T18:58:50","slug":"flexible-assistance-for-homeless-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/flexible-assistance-for-homeless-veterans\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible Assistance for Homeless Veterans"},"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\">Flexible Assistance for Homeless Veterans<\/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, Homeless Programs Office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>December 15, 2021<\/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=\"5281\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg\" alt=\"Word &quot;ASSISTANCE&quot; on a key on a modern keyboard\" class=\"wp-image-2109\" style=\"width:900px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg 5281w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg?resize=300,170 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg?resize=768,436 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg?resize=1024,582 1024w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg?resize=1536,873 1536w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/02\/4201.jpeg?resize=2048,1163 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5281px) 100vw, 5281px\" \/><\/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\">Section 4201(a) of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (PL 116-315) authorized the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use appropriated funds for life-saving food, shelter, goods, and services for homeless Veterans or those participating in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program during the Coronavirus pandemic public health emergencies. In December 2021, VA sent a total of $20 million in American Rescue Plan funds to VA Medical Centers across the country to maximize the number of Veterans assisted under this authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By providing essential food, shelter, goods, and services, the Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act of 2020 aimed to minimize the risk of harmful outcomes to Veterans such as loss of housing or continuation of homelessness, hunger, hypothermia, poor hygiene, unemployment, missed health care and service appointments, social isolation, exacerbation of physical and mental health symptoms, or contracting or spreading COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Examples of eligible expenditures included (but were not limited to):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Food (meals, groceries, meal delivery services)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Personal items (clothing, blankets, personal protective equipment, hygiene items)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Household goods (apartment start-up kits, small household appliances, furniture, cookware, cleaning supplies)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shelter (hotel\/motel vouchers, rental deposits, rental payments, utilities, childcare, application and document fees, pet fees, laundry vouchers, mobile housing units, legal fees related to maintaining housing)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transportation (taxi vouchers, public transportation vouchers, rideshare vouchers, chartered transportation services)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Communications equipment and services (smartphones, disposable phones, tablets, service plans, Wi-Fi utility payments, cell phone boosters)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this time-limited authority, VA Medical Centers were required to promote equitable access to these life-saving resources. This meant ensuring funding is made available to historically underserved Veterans, including women, racial and ethnic minority Veterans and those in rural areas and on tribal lands.<br><br><strong>UPDATE: <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/expiring-public-health-emergency\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more about how the expiration of the&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023 impacted this authority<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impact to date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From May 2021 through the end of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023, VA Medical Centers across the United States directly helped over 69,300 Veterans using nearly $13.1 million in funding through the expanded flexibilities authorized by the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, MD Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act. VA Medical Centers purchased groceries, meals, apartment start-up kits, furniture, Goodwill merchandise vouchers, and laundry vouchers for Veterans experiencing homelessness.<br><br>In addition, this guidance allowed for the creation of a nationally coordinated rideshare program, which provided support to Veterans who need transportation to meet health, housing, legal, and employment needs. As&nbsp;of the end of the Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023&nbsp;this service provided nearly 494,000&nbsp;rides to over 44,000 Veterans at a value of over $16 million.<br><br>Check out these stories of Veterans who have benefited from Section 4201(a) on VA News:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/97509\/veteran-helps-family-then-discovers-hud-vash-program-to-get-back-on-his-feet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Veteran helps family through disaster, discovers HUD-VASH program to get him back on his feet<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/99079\/va-helps-army-veteran-find-stable-housing-medical-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA helps Army Veteran find stable housing, medical care<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/99367\/veteran-ivan-dickerson-advises-other-vets-do-the-right-thing-seek-help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Veteran Ivan Dickerson advises other Vets: &#8220;Do the right thing, seek help.&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/99560\/hud-vash-team-helps-marine-veteran-mathew-robie-find-a-home-after-a-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HUD-VASH team helps Marine Veteran Mathew Robie find a home after a fire<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/101077\/va-supports-marine-veteran-through-health-issues-and-homelessness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA supports Marine Veteran through health issues and homelessness<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/101976\/a-va-skeptic-finds-support-through-homeless-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A VA skeptic finds support through homeless program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/104308\/va-homeless-programs-enable-bright-future-for-army-veteran-ronald-scott\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA homeless programs enable bright future for Army Veteran<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/104618\/va-provides-hope-to-navy-veteran-david-burris-who-was-facing-homelessness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VA provides hope to Navy Veteran who was facing homelessness<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans experiencing homelessness should visit their local VA Medical Center for assistance and to take advantage of the support made possible by this authorization. These life-saving services are available to eligible Veterans who are homeless or those participating in the <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/tag\/hud-vash\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"37\">HUD-VASH<\/a> program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To find a VA Medical Center near you, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.va.gov\/find-locations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.va.gov\/find-locations<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For immediate assistance, contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-6388d5dc\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By providing essential food, shelter, goods, and services, the Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act of 2020 aimed to minimize the risk of harmful outcomes to Veterans such as loss of housing or continuation of homelessness, hunger, hypothermia, poor hygiene, unemployment, missed health care and service appointments, social isolation, exacerbation of physical and mental health symptoms, or contracting or spreading COVID-19.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":2109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"priority":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[45,43,37,44,46],"class_list":["post-2103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-45","tag-covid-19","tag-hud-vash","tag-public-health-emergency","tag-rideshare"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/flexible-assistance-for-homeless-veterans\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Flexible Assistance 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