VA Estimates about 194,000 Veterans Are Homeless and Has Increased Its Capacity to Provide Transitional Housing

VA estimates that on a given night in fiscal year 2005 about   194,000 veterans were homeless. The estimate, generally lower than the  numbers reported prior to 2004, is considered by VA officials to be the  best estimate available. While VA has increased its capacity to  provide transitional housing for homeless veterans in recent years, its  program planning efforts indicate that an additional 9,600 transitional  housing beds from various sources are needed to meet current demand. We also found that communication issues related to  program policies could prevent veterans from being offered care. GPD Providers Create Partnerships to Help Veterans Meet Program Goals, but Resource Gaps Remain

GPD providers generally created partnerships to help prepare veterans to  obtain permanent housing and, ultimately, to live independently. Table 2 lists examples of services and partners of GPD providers  we visited. To meet the needs of veterans who were not eligible for VA  health care, GPD providers made other arrangements. VA Data Show That the GPD Program Helps Veterans Get Housing and Income, but Data Are Limited on Veterans’ Circumstances after They Leave the Program

VA data show that in fiscal years 2000-2005 a steady or increasing  percentage of veterans had stable housing, income, and greater self- determination at the time they left the GPD program. Also, VA recently  completed a onetime study looking at longer-term outcomes for homeless  veterans, including 520 who participated in the GPD program, and  preliminary results show that positive housing outcomes were maintained  1 year after veterans left the GPD program. However, VA does not  routinely collect follow-up information to determine the status of  participants at specified times after they leave the program and may not be  able to rely on the results of its study to determine the success of future  program participants. Limited resources— particularly the availability of affordable permanent housing—make this  job even more difficult. However, the agency disagreed with the statement in our draft report that  VA officials attribute the decrease in the estimates of homeless veterans to  VA’s estimation process and better local data. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

The objectives of this report were to review (1) Department of Veterans  Affairs (VA) estimates of the total number of homeless veterans and the  number of transitional beds available, (2) the extent of collaboration  involved in the provision of Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem  (GPD) program and related services, and (3) VA’s assessment of GPD  program performance. We did not review the validity of VA’s estimates.
Why GAO Did This Study

About one-third of the nation's adult homeless population are veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Many of these veterans have experienced substance abuse, mental illness, or both. The VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program, which is up for reauthorization, provides transitional housing to help veterans prepare for permanent housing. As requested, GAO reviewed (1) VA homeless veterans estimates and the number of transitional housing beds, (2) the extent of collaboration involved in the provision of GPD and related services, and (3) VA's assessment of GPD program performance. GAO analyzed VA data and methods used for the homeless estimates and performance assessment, and visited selected GPD providers in four states to observe the extent of collaboration.

What GAO Found

VA estimates that on a given night about 194,000 veterans were homeless in 2005. The estimate, generally lower than the numbers reported prior to 2004, is considered by VA officials to be the best available. VA officials believe that its new estimation process and use of better local data have improved the estimate. While VA has increased the capacity of the GPD program over the past several years, VA reports that an additional 9,600 transitional housing beds from various sources are needed to meet current demand. VA has plans to make 2,200 additional GPD beds available. GPD providers collaborate with other agencies to help veterans regain their health and obtain housing, jobs, and various services to enable them to live independently. However, resource and communications gaps may stand in the way of VA and provider efforts to meet these goals. Limited availability of affordable permanent housing, for example, may make it difficult to move veterans out of homelessness, according to GPD providers. We also identified instances of misunderstandings of program policies related to eligibility and program stay limits that could prevent homeless veterans from being admitted into the GPD program. VA assesses overall program performance by the success of veterans in attaining stable housing, income, and self-determination at the time they leave the program. VA data show that the percentage of veterans achieving these goals has generally increased or held steady over time. In 2006, VA also stepped up its assessment of the performance of GPD providers. While these assessments do not indicate how veterans fare after they leave the program, preliminary results of a onetime VA study indicate positive housing outcomes were maintained 1 year later. However, VA does not routinely collect follow-up data and may not be able to determine how veterans who were not included in the study are faring after they leave the program.