Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Department of Veterans Affairs permanently housed more than 51,900 homeless veterans nationwide in fiscal year 2025 — the highest number recorded in seven years, according to data released Nov. 25.
The Salem VA Health Care System contributed to that total by helping 113 veterans in western Virginia secure permanent housing during the fiscal year.
Nationally, VA housed 51,936 veterans, an increase of 4,011 over last year. This marks the agency’s strongest performance since it began counting unique veterans housed rather than the total number of placements — a shift adopted in 2022 to provide a more accurate measure of outcomes.
The VA’s numbers show steady gains since 2022, with this year’s totals surpassing both pre-pandemic levels and those from 2019, when 48,133 veterans were housed under the retroactively applied methodology.
Tammy Snyder, interim executive director of the Salem VA Health Care System, said the progress reflects the impact of focused outreach and strong partnerships.
“This is life-changing and in many cases life-saving work,” Snyder said. “We are proud of the progress the Salem VA HCS is making to get veterans off the streets and are redoubling our efforts to continue this momentum moving forward.”
In May, VA launched the Getting Veterans Off the Street initiative, directing every VA health care system to conduct surge outreach events to identify unsheltered veterans and connect them with housing programs, health care and benefits. That effort moved more than 25,000 veterans into interim or permanent housing nationwide.
Federal efforts also include President Trump’s May executive order establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence for Homeless Veterans on the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center campus. The center aims to support up to 6,000 homeless veterans from across the country by 2028.
VA officials said the work depends on daily collaboration among VA staff and community partners who help veterans find affordable apartments and homes, often with rental subsidies. In some cases, housing stability is achieved by reconnecting veterans with family or friends.
Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness can call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 or visit VA.gov/homeless for assistance.
