End Veteran Homelessness

Veterans represent three percent of homeless individuals in Massachusetts. Currently, approximately 500-600 veterans are experiencing homelessness in the state, per the Point in Time (PIT) count, an annual survey of homeless people in the United States. Reaching “functional zero,” a federal term meaning a system where veteran homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring, means providing resources and support to quickly identify and assist people experiencing homelessness, leading to their swift placement into stable housing.

In 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature allocated $20 million in ARPA funds to support geographically equitable investments in veteran housing. The End Veteran Homelessness campaign utilizes this $20 million to fund investments in veteran homelessness services and housing infrastructure, ensuring that resources are distributed across the state to address the needs of homeless veterans in all regions.  

The campaign comprises of five pillars strategically designed to address the multifaceted challenges faced by homeless veterans: 

Homelessness Outreach to Placement Effort (HOPE)

The HOPE campaign is an intensive, geographically equitable initiative to engage directly with homeless veterans and facilitate their placement into stable housing. HOPE seeks to better coordinate and fund veteran housing efforts across federal, state, and municipal entities, including increasing access to comprehensive substance use disorder and behavioral health services and providing flexible housing assistance funds for homeless veterans.

Capital Investments Supporting Veteran Housing

The campaign will invest in community-based providers to support acquisition, rehabilitation, or construction of affordable housing for veterans.

Aligning Supportive Services with Veteran Housing Goals

The Healey-Driscoll Administration will allocate funds to veteran service providers offering supportive services to veterans experiencing housing instability.

End Veteran Homelessness Advisory Council

A advisory council of stakeholders in the veteran, housing, and homelessness space, will provide guidance and support to achieve and end veteran homelessness.

Empowering and Supporting our Veteran Service Providers

The Healey-Driscoll Administration will provide opportunities for technical assistance to veteran service providers to undergo efforts such as grant writing, strategic planning, operations, etc. This initiative will provide access to expert support to empower veteran community-based providers in maximizing their impact and tapping into additional sources of funding.