Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office - VA Homeless Programs
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Message from Monica Diaz, Executive Director, VHA Homeless Programs Office

January 2022

Monica Diaz

Each new year, society asks us how we will commit to become a better version of ourselves. Will we promise to comply with a healthier diet, exercise daily, or perhaps take more breaks from our screens? Along with research demonstrating most New Year’s resolutions are abandoned sooner than most would care to admit, many Americans are likely forgoing such goal-setting this year, wary of making yet another plan dependent on unpredictable circumstances. From the limited preview that we have seen of 2022, those opting to reject resolutions may be correct in anticipating another year filled with contingency plans and learning more letters of the Greek alphabet.

However, there is one commitment that I will keep and that I do not believe is optional for any of us – progress towards ending Veteran homelessness. The pandemic requires us not to shy away from our goals, but rather to adjust our targets, aim even higher, and push beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones. Instead of greeting this year with apprehension, let us set a collective resolution to work together to meet the demands of these turbulent times with more determination, creativity, and fortitude than in any years past. If we maintain this resolution in 2022, I have confidence that we soon can reach a year when no Veteran is forced to live on the streets of the country they so nobly served.

Next week’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will reveal the closest estimate of the number of Americans, including Veterans, who currently are experiencing homelessness. The data collected in this year’s PIT Count will provide us with an updated understanding of the progress we have made so far towards ending homelessness, and more importantly, the tasks required to continue such progress. Our partners at HUD recognize that in some communities, the coronavirus pandemic is causing severe challenges with implementing an unsheltered PIT count and is allowing communities to request exceptions to conduct the PIT count during the last 10 days of February.

We are proud to work alongside VA Leadership, who not only “talks the talk,” about VA’s pledge to Veteran homelessness, but quite literally will be “walking the walk” as many are volunteers in the 2022 PIT Count across the nation, etc. VA leadership along with volunteers and individuals from more than 400 Continuums of Care – HUD’s planning bodies responsible for coordinating all homeless services nationwide – will be equipped with better tools to connect Veterans with care than ever before, thanks to the updates VA has made to our Status Query and Response System (SQUARES). SQUARES is a web-based application that easily allows VA employees and external organizations to verify a Veteran’s eligibility for VA’s homeless prevention and rapid rehousing programs. Such technology is critical in engaging Veterans, especially those without physical records of their service, with VA support immediately.

While we have made great strides in reducing homelessness among Veterans in the past decade, we recognize such progress began to stall in 2016. Furthermore, the pandemic has impacted the housing security of Americans for the last 2 years. Fortunately, VA has more tools available to provide a wider range of services to our Veterans than ever before.

The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, MD Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315), section 4201(a) authorizes VA to use appropriated funds for homeless Veterans and those enrolled in the HUD-VASH program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. More than 24,000 Veterans have received items or services critical to their livelihoods through this authorization so far. From assisting with rent, utility bills, furniture, and power generators, to covering fees for essential services, to providing increased access to transportation, section 4201 expands our ability to help Veterans gain resources and items vital to solving nearly any challenge they may be facing. As the pandemic continues, this authority is one of our most powerful tools to combat the consequences Veterans and their families are experiencing.

Finally, last week’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and service to our nation is a pertinent reminder of the power and responsibility we each have to make a difference in the lives of others. Among the many pieces of Dr. King’s wisdom, I find myself returning to one particular quote: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.” Dr. King’s words remind us that our country is not¬, and has never been, perfect. Complex societal issues cannot be solved in one day, or by one person. Instead, change occurs when we each work to the best of our ability, open our hearts and extend our compassion to one another. Dr. King reminded us, “Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve.”

It is an honor to enter another year working with VHA Homeless Programs on our continued mission to end homelessness, and I look forward to many days of greatness ahead.


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Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can call or visit their local VA Medical Center (VAMC) and ask for a Homeless Coordinator. Use the VA locator tool www.va.gov/directory to find your nearest VAMC and call or visit today.