A well-funded Veterans program reduces the number of homeless Veterans

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Department of Housing and Urban Development has released fresh data showing a dramatic decline in the number of homeless veterans. This includes Iowa’s homeless veterans.

According to the new figures, the number of homeless veterans in the country is at its lowest level since 2009. There were 270 homeless veterans in 2009. There were 128 the previous year. The National Alliance to End Homelessness, which Cedar Rapids contacted to address its homelessness problem, claims that a well-funded plan aimed at homeless veterans is to blame for this decline.

Steve Berg, NATEH’s Chief Policy Officer, stated, “Having the resources funded to scale is a big thing, and that is something Congress started putting more money on the table for homeless veterans almost 20 years ago.”

According to Berg, based on the “point in time count,” the number of homeless veterans decreased by 7.5% this year compared to 2023.

“It’s a combination of funding the necessary programs and using the appropriate kinds of approaches,” Berg said.

He claimed that since 2011, there has been a decline in the number of homeless Veterans. According to Berg, the strategy is similar to how they assist the homeless people in general, employing the housing first method, but there is one significant distinction.

“The biggest difference is just the funding level,” said Berg. “The veterans homelessness programs were being funded at a realistic level, and the programs that provide housing to homeless people more generally just have not been funded anywhere near the level it needs to be funded.”

One local example of this is Willis Dady, which just reported receiving its third federal funding from the VA to assist homeless veterans in Linn County. According to a news release, since the program’s inception, the group has assisted 48 homeless veterans, with 22 of them finding homes. However, according to Berg, this also demonstrated that adequately funded initiatives are required to assist the remaining homeless population.

“It shows for everyone else what kind of concerted strategic approach to ending homelessness can,” said Berg.