VA Makes Pitch for More Money to Counter 7.4% Rise in Homeless Veterans Living on the Streets or in Shelters

The Department of Veterans Affairs has plans for major funding increases to counter a sharp and unexpected 7.4% rise in veteran homelessness, plans that are dependent on how much money a divided Congress will approve for next year's VA budget.

In a release last Friday, the VA announced its intention to devote "hundreds of millions" to assist veterans sleeping in shelters or living on the streets and other places "not fit for human habitation."

The VA's announcement followed on the release last week by the Department of Housing and Urban Development of its annual Point in Time survey that estimates America's homeless populations based on a single night's count in shelters nationally. The overall number of homeless Americans shot up by a record 12% from January 2022 to January 2023 to a total of more than 650,000, the agency reported.