The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released the veteran numbers from the 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), revealing a 5.4% decrease in veteran homelessness since 2017. On a given night in the United States, 37,878 veterans are experiencing homelessness compared to 40,020 in 2017. Of those 38,878, 23,312 veterans were found in sheltered settings, a 5.6% decrease since 2017, while volunteers counted 14,566 veterans living in places not meant for human habitation, a five percent decrease since 2017.
“Evidence-based practices work to end veteran homelessness, and we recognize and applaud that this progress has been made in the face of an affordable housing crisis,” said Kathryn Monet, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans CEO.
“Any decrease is commendable, but senior leadership at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can and must do more to encourage progress across the country.”
—National Coalition for Homeless Veterans