Number of homeless veterans in Georgia falls nearly 8%, VA says

GEORGIA — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the latest point-in-time count of homeless veterans in Georgia showed a nearly 8% drop.

The news comes along with a national record low, as reported by the VA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

According to the data from the VA, the 2024 PIT showed a 7.85% decrease in homeless veterans in Georgia since 2023.

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Additionally, the department said there was an 11.7% reduction in homeless veterans since 2020 and a 55.56% drop since 2010.

HUD, the VA and ICH perform a PIT each year to count the number of sheltered and unsheltered people, and veterans, experiencing homelessness.

In Georgia, the latest PIT data showed 646 veterans were homeless in January 2024, down from 701 in 2023.

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Nationally, 32,882 veterans were reported as experiencing homelessness while 13,851 were unsheltered.

“No veteran should experience homelessness in this country they swore to defend,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “This year’s PIT Count shows that VA and the entire Biden-Harris administration are making real progress in the fight to end veteran homelessness. We still have a long way to go, but we will not stop until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home.”

In the 2024 fiscal year, the VA said it had permanently housed 48,000 veterans, part of a larger 134,000 since 2022.

Another 90,000 veterans were benefiting from housing vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program, called HUD-VASH, the VA said. Officials said it was the most veterans served by the program at any point in its history.

“Far too many of our nation’s veterans experience homelessness each year, and that is why HUD is laser-focused on ensuring that every veteran has a home,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Today, thanks to interagency efforts by the entire Biden-Harris administration and our partners on the ground, we are proud to announce a significant decline in veteran homelessness this year.”

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