The Washington DC VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) will host its annual Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down on Saturday, November 7, 2026. (Department of Veterans Affairs)
FIRST ON FOX LOCAL: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues its focused mission to reduce veteran homelessness and in fiscal year 2026 housed 48,968 homeless veterans across the country, an average of more than 4,000 veterans housed per month.
By the numbers:
The VA says the 48,968 homeless veterans housed in FY26, which ran from Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026, is the second highest since the VA began tracking the number of unique veterans permanently housed each year. The record high was in FY2025, when the VA housed 51,936 veterans.
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In August, the VA established a $29 million fund to provide assistance to homeless Veterans, including food, shelter, clothing and transportation services.
VA Secretary Doug Collins meets with a veteran and a group of volunteers as they prepare for the Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down at the Washington DC VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) on November 7, 2026, (Department of Veterans Affairs)
What they're saying:
"Under President Trump, VA is working harder than ever to get homeless Veterans off the streets and back on the path to self-sufficiency," said VA Secretary Doug Collins. "By finding permanent homes for nearly 4,000 Veterans each month, we are changing tens of thousands of lives for the better."
Dig deeper:
Since January 2025, the VA says it has taken several steps to reduce veteran homelessness, including awarding more than $2 billion in grants to organizations dedicated to reducing veteran homelessness.
In June, the VA launched a new Partial Claim Program to help Veterans struggling financially avoid foreclosure and help Veterans keep their homes. During FY2026, the VA says it worked with mortgage service providers to help more than 164,000 Veterans avoid foreclosure.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence on the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles. According to the White House, Los Angeles has approximately 3,000 homeless veterans — more than any other city in the country, and accounting for about 10% of all homeless veterans in the country.
The goal is to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center by 2028.
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VA Homeless Programs
What you can do:
The VA Homeless Program has a range of homeless-related Veteran services providing help for Veterans and their families through access to secure, stable housing and other supportive services.
If you are a veteran or know a veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838 for assistance.
The Source: This article includes information provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Orlando.