VA Help for Homeless and At-Risk Veterans

You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to call.

• Homeless or at risk of homelessness: 877-4AIDVET (877-424-3838), 24/7. Trained counselors connect you with the nearest VA medical center.
• General VA help: 1-800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411).
• Already enrolled in VA health care: talk to your VA mental health or health care provider.
• At a VA facility: ask for the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program or the Mental Health service manager. Find a facility at va.gov/find-locations.
• In crisis: Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.

HUD-VASH (HUD-VA Supportive Housing)

Pairs a HUD Housing Choice rental voucher with VA case management and support services, so homeless veterans and their families can get permanent housing and the health care, mental health treatment, and other help needed to keep it.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)

Grants to nonprofits that help very low-income veteran families. SSVF rapidly rehouses homeless veteran families and helps prevent homelessness for families at imminent risk because of a housing crisis. Its Shallow Subsidy pays a fixed rental subsidy for up to two years while the family works toward long-term self-sufficiency through employment.

Grant and Per Diem (GPD)

VA's largest transitional housing program, with about 11,000 beds nationwide. VA funds community agencies to run transitional housing with wrap-around services that help veterans move into permanent housing.

Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)

The gateway to VA and community services: outreach, case management, and HCHV Contract Residential Services that place homeless veterans in community-based residential care.

Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans

A residential program for veterans with mental health concerns who are homeless, at risk, or lack a stable living arrangement that supports recovery. Veterans leave the program to safe housing.

Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACT)

At selected VA facilities, a team of a primary care provider, nurse, social worker, homeless program staff, and others gives medical care, case management, outreach, housing help, and social services in one place. Twenty-five HPACT teams also run mobile medical units that bring care directly to veterans in the community.

Community Resource and Referral Centers (CRRC)

Centrally located walk-in centers run by VA with community partners. Veterans who come in are referred to physical and mental health care, job programs, housing options, and other VA and non-VA benefits.

Homeless Veterans Dental Program

Dental care for veterans enrolled in qualifying VA homeless rehabilitation programs: Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment, Grant and Per Diem, Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence, HCHV contract beds, and Community Residential Care. See our dental benefits guide.

Homeless Veterans Community Employment Services (HVCES)

Employment staff placed inside VA homeless programs help veterans find work and keep housing. The only requirement is taking part in a VA homeless program.

Compensated Work Therapy, Transitional Residence (CWT-TR)

For veterans whose mental health conditions or physical disabilities make work hard to find. Veterans live in a transitional home in the community, get coaching to find and keep a job while continuing treatment, and pay a program fee from their CWT earnings.

Legal help

VA's Legal Services for Veterans program gives grants to organizations that provide certain legal services to homeless and at-risk veterans.

Call your loan servicer as soon as you fall behind. Depending on your situation, servicers may offer:

• Repayment plan: your regular payment each month plus part of what you missed.
• Special forbearance: the servicer holds off on foreclosure so you have time to catch up.
• Loan modification: the missed amount is added to the loan balance with a new payment schedule.
• Short sale: you sell the home for less than you owe, with the servicer's approval.
• Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure: you deed the property to the servicer instead of going through foreclosure.

VA loan technicians: 877-827-3702. They can work with your servicer on a VA-guaranteed loan, and can give advice even on a non-VA loan. HUD-approved housing counseling: 1-800-569-4287.