The Department of Veterans Affairs set a new record for the number of veterans entering housing in 2023, with more than 46,000 moving into permanent housing.
A total of 46,552 veterans were interned, a whopping 23% higher than the target of 38,000, Military.com reported.
The Veterans Administration said 96% of veterans placed in homes in 2023 remained in their homes, while 1,919 veterans who returned to homelessness were still receiving assistance from the agency.
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Douglas Vue, 65, pushes his wheelchair to a tent next to a homeless encampment outside a West LA Veterans Affairs facility. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The mark marks a new record for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has worked with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to get more veterans off the streets, the report said.
But the record also comes as the Veterans Administration announced last month that the number of veterans experiencing homelessness had increased by 7.4% compared to 2022, when the number of homeless veterans was 35,574. It will be done.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough said the reason for the increase is unclear and the agency is working to find a solution.
“I don’t know for sure,” McDonough said, according to the report. “We have many things [the pandemic] The impact will be reflected in the numbers seen last year…we hope to have more data by the end of the summer. ”
July 22, 2019 at the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, DC. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images)
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Despite last year’s increase, veteran homelessness rates have steadily declined since 2010, when 76,000 veterans were homeless on the streets or in hotels. Overall, the number of homeless veterans has decreased by 52% since 2010 and by 4% since 2020, the report notes.
Monica Diaz, executive director of the Veterans Affairs Office of Homeless Programs, told reporters this week that the agency believes “the problem of veteran homelessness is solvable,” adding that the agency is committed to combating the problem. He expressed optimism that he could continue.
“We know what works…and we have the right tools to do the job,” Diaz said at a news conference.
The VA has not yet set new housing goals for 2024, according to the report, but Diaz said the agency is ready if demand increases again.
A homeless encampment on Logan Street between 17th and 18th streets in Denver, Colorado. (Hyun Chang/The Denver Post)
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“Each number represents a future filled with new hope, dignity and possibility for many veterans, thanks to the dedication of thousands of staff and partners across the country,” Diaz said. Ta.
The Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
