In Ohio, veteran homelessness has seen a 5% decrease in the past year, those departments said.
The data depends on a “point-in-time” count, which tracked sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, the government said.
In Ohio, the data showed that 589 veterans experienced homelessness in January this year, down from 623 the year before.
Nationwide, there were 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness, 13,851 of whom were unsheltered, down from 35,574 and 15,507 in 2023, respectively.
Last month, VA said it permanently housed nearly 48,000 homeless veterans in fiscal year 2024 — and 134,000 veterans since 2022.
The Dayton VA is involved in this work. Across a 16-county service area, the Dayton VA has helped distribute 238 federal housing vouchers over the years, including 198 in Montgomery County alone, the VA said in early 2023. If a veteran’s income improves, vouchers can be recycled to someone else in need.
For fiscal year 2024 — Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024 — the Dayton VA housed 209 people, exceeding a target set by the VA secretary of 194, a Dayton VA spokeswoman said.
“The VA is here for the veterans,” Diane Smith-Foster, homeless program manager for the Dayton VA, told the Dayton Daily News last year.
Additionally, as of the end of fiscal year 2024, nearly 90,000 veterans were under lease with vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program.
“Far too many of our nation’s veterans experience homelessness each year, and that is why HUD (Housing and Urban Development) is laser-focused on ensuring that every veteran has a home,” HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman said in a release.
“This data show that with the right investments in housing and health care, and with strong leadership and coordination across government, homelessness is solvable,” said U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Jeff Olivet. “The challenge now is to end veteran homelessness and use the lessons we learn to help all people without a home.”
This year, VA awarded more than $800 million in grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness.
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