VA Awards $1.17 Billion to Fight Veteran Homelessness: Where the Money Goes - Newsweek

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a record $1.17 billion in grants to 680 organizations across the U.S. as part of a nationwide effort to prevent and reduce veteran homelessness.

The funding, which will be distributed during fiscal year 2027, comes after the agency said it housed 51,936 homeless veterans in fiscal year 2025, the highest annual total in seven years.

The grants will be awarded through two of the VA's homelessness assistance programs—the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and the Grant and Per Diem—and are intended to help veterans remain housed, find permanent housing, and access support services designed to improve long-term stability.

The VA said the largest portion of the funding, $855 million, will be distributed through the SSVF program. These one-year grants begin on October 1, 2026 and will be awarded to eligible community organizations that work directly with veterans and their families.

Under the program, grant recipients can provide a range of services aimed at preventing homelessness before it occurs. That includes:

A further $318 million will be distributed through the Grant and Per Diem program. These are three-year grants beginning October 1, 2026, that support:

The grants are not paid directly to individual veterans.

Instead, the funding will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, community groups, housing providers, local agencies, and other eligible service providers that work with veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

These organizations will then deliver housing assistance, support services, and case management programs at the local level.

The objective of the funding is to address homelessness at multiple stages, from prevention efforts for veterans facing housing instability to emergency assistance and longer-term housing support for those already without a permanent place to live.

Programs supported through the grants can help veterans pay for temporary housing costs, access benefits and support services, receive counseling and case management, and transition into stable long-term housing arrangements. The VA says the approach is designed to not only get veterans off the streets but also to reduce the likelihood that they will return to homelessness in the future. VA Secretary Doug Collins said that the VA "is making historic progress" in getting "vulnerable Veterans off the streets and back on the path to self-sufficiency."

He described the grants as part of a broader effort to expand services for vulnerable veterans and connect them with permanent housing opportunities. He said the funding would connect "those who have worn the uniform to permanent housing" and provide the resources needed for "long‑term stability."

Independent data broadly supports the VA's claims of progress, with veteran homelessness falling substantially since 2009. But advocates caution against treating the decline as the end of the crisis. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans has emphasized that thousands of veterans still lack stable housing and that challenges including high housing costs, limited affordable units and barriers to services continue to put veterans at risk.

The trend represents meaningful progress, advocates say, but also underscores the need for sustained federal support and a continued focus on preventing homelessness before it occurs.

The newly announced grants represent a "record high" amount awarded through the department's homelessness programs and demonstrate the government's continued effort to reduce the number of veterans experiencing housing insecurity.

For veterans, the funding means expanded access to housing assistance and support programs in communities across the country. For local service providers, it represents a significant influx of federal resources designed to strengthen homelessness prevention efforts, expand transitional housing options, and move more veterans into permanent homes.

Newsweek has contacted the VA for comment via email and is awaiting a response.

Update, 09/15/2026 10:15 a.m. ET: this article was updated with a new headline and featured image and new information in the Where the Money Goes section.