VA Housing Assistance Programs for Homeless and At-Risk Veterans

If you served and have nowhere to sleep, or you will lose your housing soon, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it is free and confidential. VA's homeless help page says a counselor "will ask a few questions so they can understand your situation and connect you to the right support." Family members, friends and neighbors who are worried about a veteran can call too.

You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to call, or to know which program you want. The person on the line connects you to the homeless program at the VA medical center nearest you, or to a Community Resource and Referral Center where VA runs one. That program can arrange emergency shelter, then work with you on something permanent.

This page is about keeping or finding a place to live. If you are looking for VA grants to adapt a home for a service-connected disability, see the SAH and SHA grants guide and the housing grants guide instead.

If you are in crisis, that comes first. Many veterans who lose housing are also dealing with depression, a substance use problem or thoughts of suicide, and VA treats those alongside housing.

VA's programs fit together as a ladder. Each has its own rules, but the same VA social worker usually moves you between them.

Source: https://department.va.gov/homeless/, checked September 2026.

The numbers behind the ladder are dated and public. VA's HUD-VASH page says that as of March 2026 more than 95,000 formerly homeless veterans were living in homes through HUD-VASH, and nearly 250,000 have obtained permanent housing through it since 2008. HUD's June 26, 2026 announcement says VA housed more than 51,000 homeless veterans in the prior year, and that veteran homelessness has fallen 56.1% since 2010.

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program is the permanent-housing program. VA describes it as a partnership between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA that combines "a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) from HUD that helps pay rent for qualifying housing" with "VA case management and supportive services that help Veterans remain successfully housed." The voucher is the same Section 8 voucher other low-income renters use.

Who it is for. VA says the program is "specifically tailored for Veterans experiencing homelessness who have a need for ongoing, intensive case management." HUD's operating requirements add the 2 mechanics that matter:

• VA decides eligibility and refers you. "Eligibility determination and veteran selection is done by the VA." The medical center's homeless program screens you; you do not apply to the housing authority.
• The Public Housing Authority (PHA) checks income. The PHA "must determine income and asset eligibility" and must serve income-eligible veterans up to 80% of area median income. It cannot screen you out for the reasons it can use with other applicants, with 1 exception: a lifetime state sex-offender registration.

What you pay. Standard voucher rules apply: a total tenant payment of 30% of your adjusted income, under 24 CFR 5.628. The voucher covers the rest up to the PHA's payment standard. Accepting VA case management is a condition of the rental assistance.

How to start. HUD's HUD-VASH page says to "contact a VA medical center near you and mention your interest in HUD-VASH," or call the National Call Center. At least 1 PHA administers HUD-VASH in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. Congress has funded new vouchers every year since 2008; the June 2026 round was $33 million for 2,532 new vouchers across 265 PHAs in 44 states, bringing active vouchers to more than 118,000.

Watch out: A voucher is not a home. After the PHA issues it, you still have to find a landlord who will take it within the voucher's search period. Ask your case manager about landlord outreach in your area before the clock starts.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is the program that pays short-term housing costs. VA funds nonprofits, not VA offices, to deliver it. It has 2 tracks: rapid re-housing for veteran families who are already homeless, and homelessness prevention for families about to lose housing.

You may be eligible if all of these are true:

• you are a veteran, or the head of your household or their spouse is a veteran (a single veteran counts as a family),
• your household income is at or below 50% of area median income, and
• you are homeless, or at imminent risk of losing your housing.

The rules are in 38 CFR Part 62. "Veteran" here excludes only a dishonorable discharge or a general court-martial dismissal, and the minimum-service rules do not apply.

What SSVF pays for. Rent, security and utility deposits, utility bills, moving costs, transportation and child care, plus case management and help getting VA and other benefits. The limits in 38 CFR 62.34:

Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-62/subpart-C/section-62.34, current as of September 2026.

SSVF is a bridge, not a 2-year subsidy; the grantee sets the amount within those limits. To find the grantee for your county, call 877-424-3838 or use the provider list on VA's SSVF page.

Grant and Per Diem (GPD). VA's GPD program pays community organizations to run transitional housing with services. VA lists 6 models: Bridge Housing, Low Demand, Hospital to Housing, Clinical Treatment, Service Intensive Transitional Housing and Transition in Place. Your case manager matches you to the one that fits. Under 38 CFR 61.1, the housing is designed to move you to permanent housing "as soon as possible but no later than 24 months," with exceptions for medical step-up or step-down programs such as detox or hospice. GPD also funds case management to help veterans keep permanent housing after they leave.

Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV). VA calls outreach "the core of the HCHV program." Its Contract Residential Services place veterans with serious mental health diagnoses in community residential settings, and HCHV runs the Community Resource and Referral Centers.

Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV). VA's oldest health care program, now part of Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs. It is a residential treatment setting for veterans experiencing homelessness with mental health or substance use needs, entered through the call center or your VA medical center.

Compensated Work Therapy (CWT). A paid work program. VA Boston describes it as transitional work and supported employment that "assists homeless Veterans in returning to competitive employment," paid at least the federal or state minimum wage. Some medical centers pair it with a transitional residence; ask the homeless program coordinator whether yours does.

Stand Downs. 1- to 3-day events where VA staff and volunteers provide food, clothing and health screenings plus referrals for housing, health care, employment and treatment. VA lists them by month on its Stand Down calendar.

Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO). If you are in jail, facing charges or in a Veterans Treatment Court, a VJO specialist can connect you to VA housing and treatment before release. VA publishes a VJO contact list by location.

You do not have to be on the street to get help. 3 routes exist before that point.

SSVF homelessness prevention. The prevention track covers back rent and utilities for veteran families at imminent risk, under the same limits as above. Call early; the nonprofit needs time to verify income and talk to your landlord.

Behind on a VA-backed mortgage. VA's trouble-making-payments page says to contact your loan servicer first. If a VA-guaranteed loan is 61 or more days overdue, VA assigns a loan technician automatically. Options include special forbearance, a repayment plan, a loan modification (including 30-year and 40-year terms), the VA Partial Claim Program, and, if keeping the home is not possible, a private sale, short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure. Reach VA at 877-827-3702 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. VA will counsel veterans and surviving spouses even when the loan is not VA-guaranteed. The VA home loan guide explains how the guaranty works.

Legal aid. Ask the homeless program coordinator, or your state's veterans department, which legal aid group handles veteran evictions where you live. If a court is already involved, the VJO program applies.

Discharge. No VA homeless program requires an honorable discharge. SSVF and GPD use the same definition: any discharge except dishonorable or a general court-martial dismissal. HUD-VASH eligibility is decided by the VA medical center, and VA's homeless help page says veterans with an other than honorable (OTH) discharge "may be eligible for certain types of care without being enrolled in VA health care." Do not rule yourself out; call and let VA decide. The health care enrollment guide covers how discharge status affects enrollment more broadly.

Family. SSVF and HUD-VASH serve veteran families, not just single veterans. In SSVF the veteran can be either the head of household or the spouse. HUD-VASH vouchers cover the veteran's household. Ask whether the GPD grantee near you accepts families, and women veterans should ask specifically about women-only units; the family benefits overview lists other VA support for dependents.

Income. SSVF: at or below 50% of area median income (30% for the extended limits). HUD-VASH: the PHA serves veterans up to 80% of area median income, and you pay 30% of adjusted income in rent. GPD and HCHV have no income test; they are health care programs. If you have no income at all, ask the social worker about VA pension, which is a monthly payment for wartime veterans with low income, and about filing a claim for disability compensation.

1. Call 877-424-3838 or walk into any VA medical center and ask for the homeless program. Say whether you need shelter tonight. If you are in crisis, dial 988 and press 1 first.
2. Answer the screening questions. The counselor asks about your service, where you are staying, income, health and safety. You do not need paperwork to call.
3. Get connected to a VA social worker or case manager at the nearest medical center or Community Resource and Referral Center. This is the person who opens the doors to HCHV, GPD, SSVF and HUD-VASH.
4. Complete the housing assessment. Most communities use a Continuum of Care coordinated entry system that ranks need. Your VA case manager enters you into it and, if HUD-VASH fits, refers you to the PHA.
5. Enroll in VA health care if you can, using the enrollment guide. It is not a condition of calling, but it unlocks DCHV, mental health care and the mental health services that keep housing stable.
6. Keep the appointments. Case management is what turns a bed into a lease and a voucher into a home.

Several states run their own emergency housing programs for veterans, and every state veterans department can name the county veteran service officer and the nonprofits that pay a deposit or a month's rent when SSVF is out of reach. Some states add property-tax relief that keeps a veteran housed before VA is needed. Select your state to see what applies.

Who do I call if I am a homeless veteran?

Call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. It is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A trained VA staff member asks a few questions and connects you to the homeless program at your nearest VA medical center. Family and friends can call too.

Who qualifies for HUD-VASH?

Veterans experiencing homelessness who need ongoing, intensive case management, as screened by the VA medical center. The public housing authority then checks income (up to 80% of area median income) and cannot screen you out except for lifetime sex-offender registration. Referrals come through VA, not the housing authority.

Does the VA pay rent for veterans?

Not directly. A HUD-VASH voucher pays most of the rent through the local housing authority, with the veteran paying about 30% of adjusted income. SSVF nonprofits can pay rent, deposits and utilities for very low-income veteran families, for up to 10 months in a 2-year period (12 months for extremely low income).

How long can a veteran stay in Grant and Per Diem transitional housing?

Up to 24 months. 38 CFR 61.1 defines the housing as a move to permanent housing as soon as possible and no later than 24 months, with exceptions for medical step-up or step-down programs such as detox or hospice.

Can I get help if I am about to be evicted but not yet homeless?

Yes. SSVF homelessness prevention can cover rent and utilities for veteran families at imminent risk. If you have a VA-backed mortgage and are behind, call VA at 877-827-3702, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, for forbearance, repayment plan and modification options.