The Trump administration announced Thursday that the rate of veterans’ homelessness has declined over the last year, continuing a trend that began in 2010 during which it has fallen by nearly half.
The latest annual Homeless Assessment Report from the Housing and Urban Development Department found that the number of homeless veterans decreased 5.4 percent since the prior year.
In making the announcement, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said, “We owe it to our nation’s veterans to make certain they have place to call home.”
Sixty-four local communities and three states have reported that they have effectively ended veterans’ homelessness, Carson said in a conference call with reporters.
He was joined by Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, who said the decline is a direct result of the cooperation between the federal and local governments.
“That really is the model for the way ahead,” he said.
More than 4,000 veterans have found permanent housing since last year through the HUD Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing Program, which provides rental assistance to veterans.
Secretary Wilkie credited the VA MISSION Act, which aims to improve veteran access to healthcare, for providing the resources the department needs to combat the issue. However, he said it is also necessary to address the issues of opioid addiction and mental health, which he sees as contributing factors to the veterans’ homelessness problem.
