(The Hill) – Veteran homelessness rates have dropped to a record low since detailed counting began in 2009, the Biden administration announced Monday for Veterans Day.
In January of this year, officials counted 32,882 homeless veterans, a significant drop from recent years and a 55.6 percent decrease from 2010.
The number of unsheltered homeless veterans also decreased from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851.
The numbers, shared by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), indicate increased efforts to reduce the veterans homeless population have started to pay off.
Last month, the VA announced it housed close to 48,000 veterans, following a “Housing First” approach of prioritizing housing for the veteran and then offering them the services they need to stay sheltered.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the U.S. is “making real progress in the fight to end veteran homelessness.”
“We still have a long way to go, but we will not stop until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home,” McDonough said in a statement.
The White House also released a fact sheet Monday morning touting the reduction in the numbers of veterans homeless, along with other efforts the Biden administration has taken to help the population, including approving disability claims and increasing access to child care.
President Biden in 2021 released a plan to end veterans homelessness. They continue to make up a large share, 13 percent, of the overall homeless population, despite representing just 7 percent of the U.S. population.
In 2023, there were 653,100 homeless people overall in the country, according to HUD.
The VA has been tackling veterans homelessness through an array of solutions, including awarding more than $800 million in grants to assist the unhoused veteran population and creating a grant program to help others who need legal assistance to avoid evictions or other problems.
The department has also increased income eligibility for veterans to access HUD vouchers, and hosting work sessions to improve the speed of housing efforts.
“Far too many of our nation’s veterans experience homelessness each year,” HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman said in a statement. “And that is why HUD is laser-focused on ensuring that every veteran has a home.”
