🚨Drone Strike Destroys Pet Food Warehouse! Rush Emergency Food Now!
Homeless Veterans Are Vanishing In VA Paperwork Because Of Referral Program Failures
Matthew Russell
Veterans who tell VA they are homeless or at risk of homelessness should not be left waiting for help. Yet, an audit by the VA Office of Inspector General found weaknesses in referral and follow-up processes after positive homelessness screenings.
From January through June 2024, VHA screened more than 2.4 million veterans. It identified 31,149 veterans who reported homelessness or risk of homelessness. About 18,250 asked to be referred for help.
At 42 of 140 facilities, between 25% and about 71% of veterans who wanted referral assistance did not receive follow-up action within 30 days, depending on the facility.
No veteran should be lost in VA paperwork.
HUD-VASH Referrals Need Better Tracking
HUD-VASH can move veterans into permanent housing by pairing rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services. HUD describes it as a joint program that combines Housing Choice Voucher assistance with VA case management and clinical services.
But a 2026 Government Accountability Office report found that VA did not consistently collect data on why eligible veterans were not referred to HUD-VASH. From 2020 through 2024, GAO found 174,045 instances of eligible veterans not being referred. VA failed to document the reason in 151,296 of those cases.
Task & Purpose reported that staffing shortages, turnover, and burnout contributed to referral failures and reduced support for veterans.
Veterans who ask for housing help deserve follow-up.
Every Positive Screen Must Lead Somewhere
VA Homeless Programs says HUD-VASH helps homeless veterans and their families find and sustain permanent housing while accessing health care, mental health treatment, and other supports.
VA also reports that 32,495 veterans experienced homelessness in the January 2025 Point-in-Time count, including 13,518 unsheltered veterans.
Those veterans need a system that works every time.
VA should require written local policies, train staff, monitor follow-up, document every non-referral reason, fill case-management gaps, and report missed referrals to Congress.
No veteran should ask for housing help and disappear into a broken system.
Sign the petition to urge VA, HUD, and Congress to fix homeless veteran referral failures.
