By CORY SMITH | The National News Desk — Veterans Affairs announced more than $818 million in grants to 235 organizations across the country to combat veteran homelessness.

The money will support housing and housing counseling, health care, financial planning services, childcare, legal assistance and transportation to help veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“Supportive services like childcare, housing counseling and financial planning can be important catalysts for preventing or resolving homelessness,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a news release. “These grants will help bring crucial support to thousands of Veterans in need across the nation.”

FILE – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is seen June 26, 2025, in Washington. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Jim Whaley, a 20-year Army veteran and the CEO of advocacy group Mission Roll Call, called veteran homelessness a serious problem.

The latest annual point-in-time count found that there are about 33,000 homeless veterans, including those who are sheltered and unsheltered.

Veterans make up 5% of all adults experiencing homelessness, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

But Whaley isn’t confident that the nation has a good grasp on the scope of the problem.

He said the point-in-time count misses a lot of homeless people, including the majority of homeless veterans living in rural areas.

“That’s really the floor,” he said. “The ceiling of this number could be much higher.”

Read the full piece here: https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/va-announces-818-million-to-combat-veteran-homelessness