VA Warns of 'Dramatic Increase' in Homeless Veterans as Eviction Moratorium Ends

SSG Robert Mark Odom 17 Jun 2021
Military.com | By Richard Sisk
The number of homeless veterans living on the street or in temporary shelters and cheap hotels is expected to skyrocket after the end of this month as the federal moratorium on evictions for back rent expires, top government officials said Wednesday.

The Department of Veterans Affairs "is deeply concerned about possible dramatic increases in homelessness when eviction moratoria are lifted," Keith Harris, national director of clinical operations for the VA's Homeless Programs Office, said at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.

As they brace for the moratorium's June 30 end, the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development were planning to increase funding for rental assistance and boost the number of HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers by 70,000, said Richard Cho, senior adviser for housing and services at HUD.