	Introduction

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought renewed attention to the needs of veterans, including the needs of homeless veterans. In response to the issue of homelessness among veterans, Congress has created numerous programs to fund services, transitional housing, and permanent housing specifically for homeless veterans. Several issues regarding homelessness among veterans have become prominent since the beginning of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Third is the concern that adequate services might not exist to serve the needs of women veterans. Table 1 , below, contains estimates of homeless veterans from 2009 through 2015. See Table 2 . In each of the studies, both male and female veterans were more likely to be homeless than their nonveteran counterparts. (See Table 3 .) Overrepresentation of Female Veterans

As with male veterans, research has shown that women veterans are more likely to be homeless than women who are not veterans. In addition, the Department of Labor (DOL) is responsible for programs that provide employment services for homeless veterans while the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) collaborates with the VA on two additional programs. The Department of Veterans Affairs

The majority of programs that serve homeless veterans are part of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), one of the three major organizations within the VA (the other two are the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the National Cemetery Administration). Health Care for Homeless Veterans

The first federal program to specifically address the needs of homeless veterans, Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV), was initially called the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill veterans program. Congress has appropriated funds for the DCHV program since its inception. Veterans are eligible if they are receiving care in the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program, the Compensated Work Therapy Transitional Housing program, in Community Residential Care Facilities, or in a Grant and Per Diem program. VA and HUD Collaborations

			HUD-VASH

				Early Years of HUD-VASH

The HUD-VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program began in 1992 as a collaboration between the VA and HUD whereby HUD provided housing to homeless veterans through a set-aside of tenant-based Section 8 vouchers and the VA provided supportive services. The contract between the VA and the outside service provider may occur in circumstances where (1) there is a shortage of affordable rental housing and a veteran needs more assistance than the VA can provide, (2) a veteran does not live near a local VA facility and it is impractical for the VA to provide assistance, or (3) veterans in the area have lower than average success in obtaining housing when compared to veterans participating in HUD-VASH overall. For the number of new vouchers funded in each fiscal year, see Table 5 . Issues Regarding Veterans and Homelessness

		The VA Plan to End Veteran Homelessness

On November 3, 2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years. Congress has appropriated $575 million for the program, an amount sufficient to fund 79,000 vouchers for one year. The additional Section 8 vouchers, as well as increased funding through VA program interventions (see Table 4 ), could be making a difference in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness. In addition to funding increases, the numbers of veterans served in VA homeless programs have increased in the years since the plan was announced, as shown in Table 6 . A number of studies have examined the mental health status of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Women veterans face challenges that could contribute to their risks of homelessness. As a result, programs serving homeless veterans may not have adequate facilities for female veterans at risk of homelessness, particularly transitional housing for women and women with children.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought renewed attention to the needs of veterans, including the needs of homeless veterans. Researchers have found both male and female veterans to be overrepresented in the homeless population, and, as the number of veterans increased due to these conflicts, there was concern that the number of homeless veterans could rise commensurately. The 2007-2009 recession and the subsequent slow economic recovery also raised concerns that homelessness could increase among all groups, including veterans.
Congress has created numerous programs that serve homeless veterans specifically, almost all of which are funded through the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These programs provide health care and rehabilitation services for homeless veterans (the Health Care for Homeless Veterans and Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans programs), employment assistance (Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program—a Department of Labor program—and Compensated Work Therapy program), and transitional housing (Grant and Per Diem program) as well as supportive services (the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program). The VA also works with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide permanent supportive housing to homeless veterans through the HUD-VA Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH). In the HUD-VASH program, HUD funds rental assistance through Section 8 vouchers while the VA provides supportive services. In addition, the VA and HUD have collaborated on a homelessness prevention demonstration program.
Several issues regarding veterans and homelessness have become prominent, in part because of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. One issue is ending homelessness among veterans. In November 2009, the VA announced a plan to end homelessness within five years. Both the VA and HUD have taken steps to increase housing and services for homeless veterans. Funding for VA programs has increased in recent years (see Table 4), Congress has appropriated funds to increase available units of permanent supportive housing through the HUD-VASH program (see Table 5), and the number of veterans served in many programs has increased (see Table 6). Congress has appropriated a total of $575 million to support initial funding of HUD-VASH vouchers in each year from FY2008 through FY2015, enough to fund approximately 79,000 vouchers. Since the VA announced its plan, the HUD and VA point-in-time estimates of the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen from 73,367 in 2009 to 47,725 in 2015 (see Table 1).
Another issue is the concern that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are at risk of homelessness may not receive the services they need. In addition, concerns have arisen about the needs of female veterans, whose numbers are increasing. Women veterans face challenges that could contribute to their risks of homelessness. They are more likely to have experienced sexual trauma than women in the general population and are more likely than male veterans to be single parents. Historically, few homeless programs for veterans have had the facilities to provide separate accommodations for women and women with children. In recent years, Congress and the VA have made changes to some programs in an attempt to address the needs of female veterans, including funding set-asides and efforts to expand services.