By Monica Diaz, Executive Director, Homeless Programs Office Veterans Health Administration | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Today, American life hardly resembles the country Eisenhower led. We have traveled to space, cured diseases and achieved other previously unbelievable milestones […]
Category: Veterans
Honoring Veterans by Ending Their Homelessness
According to the 2020 PIT Count, veteran homelessness has been almost cut in half (49 percent) since 2009. Both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness rates dropped in 48 states and the District of Columbia. This overall decline in veteran homelessness has […]
Know-How, Resources, and Leadership Have Given Us an Historic Opportunity
Recently, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and VA Secretary Denis McDonough issued a joint statement announcing that the two departments are “aligning efforts and joining forces to work towards ending Veteran homelessness.” Each leader pledged to “mobilize the strength of our […]
New Report Shows Rise in Homelessness in Advance of COVID-19 Crisis
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress (Part 1) shows that 580,466 people were counted as homeless during the 2020 Point-in-Time count, representing a 2.2% increase over 2019. This marks the fourth consecutive annual increase in homelessness, following sustained […]
Positive Changes in FY2021 Spending: HUD-VASH Eligibility Expands
As the pandemic continues and things remain tough in communities nationwide, changes set forth in recent legislation cause me to be hopeful about what we can accomplish to end homelessness. The final spending legislation for fiscal year 2021, passed by […]