VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans Releases Housing First Implementation Brief

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 16, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The current Administration set a bold and ambitious goal to end chronic and veteran homelessness by 2015. To accomplish this mission, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a comprehensive, evidence-based, data- and outcome-driven strategy supported by significant local and federal partnerships and a considerable financial commitment.

VA has transformed its service model to be more “person-centered” and focused on solutions — including collaborative community-based treatment and supportive services — to prevent and end veteran homelessness. This approach has greatly increased access to healthcare, benefits, employment services, and permanent housing solutions for veterans who are homeless or at risk.

A primary example of this is VA’s decision to adopt Housing First as a national policy for its homeless programs. Before Housing First was adopted as official VA policy, the VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (NCHAV) implemented an initiative to evaluate the approach within the context of VA and to advance the implementation and early adoption of the model within HUD-VASH.

The NCHAV has released the “Housing First Implementation Brief,” which outlines and evaluates the VA’s Housing First Pilot. Findings demonstrated that Housing First is both clinically effective and fiscally efficient for VA programs. To read the full brief, click here.