Uniting to provide homes and hope for Veterans this holiday season
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) homeless program was the first team in Veteran Integrated Service Network-VISN 4 to complete a “Home for the Holidays” surge outreach event, a key part of a national VA initiative designed to rapidly connect homeless Veterans with housing and support services ahead of the winter months.
In November, a group of VAPHS staff and community partners from Soldier On, Veteran Leadership Program and Allegheny Link performed street rounds to find unsheltered Veterans in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, as well as met with Veterans at two downtown homeless shelters.
Utilizing local resources through Allegheny Link, the team was able to provide a cell phone to an unsheltered Veteran to assist with their housing voucher application and help with follow-up communication. At the Second Street Commons and Wood Street Commons homeless shelters, the team met with Veterans regarding opportunities to transition into permanent housing through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs.
Bringing Veterans home for the holidays: VA surge efforts deliver hope and housing
The “Home for the Holidays” initiative was launched by VA nationwide for the period between Nov. 1, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, requiring each VA medical center to host a surge event aimed at either outreach to unsheltered Veterans or immediate placement into permanent housing. The surge events leverage combined resources, streamlined intake processes and collaborative community partnerships to accelerate housing placements, sometimes blending both outreach and housing surge elements to meet specific local needs.
In fiscal year 2025, VA initiative “Getting Veterans Off the Street” helped permanently house a record 51,936 homeless Veterans nationwide—over 4,000 more than the previous year. Additionally, VISN 4 exceeded its fiscal year 2025 goal by 120.5%, targeted permanently housing 1,855 unique Veterans and accomplished housing 2,235. These coordinated efforts highlight VA’s commitment to increasing access to safe, stable housing and critical services for Veterans, including direct outreach during Home for the Holidays surge events like those led by VAPHS.
Surge initiatives advance VA mission to end Veteran homelessness
These surge events involve focused, collective efforts with coordinated resources to achieve targeted, short-term outcomes, specifically increasing the number of unsheltered Veterans engaged, enrolled in programs and placed in housing.
VA’s surge events emphasize:
- Proactive outreach directly to Veterans in the community.
- Commitment to lowering barriers by all providers and agencies.
- Immediate, same-day access to interim housing.
- Rapid transition to permanent housing.
These strategies require full mobilization of community resources and provider collaboration to ensure Veterans experiencing homelessness are met where they are and rapidly connected with the support and permanent housing they need.
Not to be confused with the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count—a federally mandated, single-night survey that aims to measure homelessness in the United States. The PIT count includes both individuals in shelters and those who are unsheltered, and it encompasses all homeless populations, including Veterans. Typically conducted in January, the PIT count is essential for assessing the extent of homelessness, guiding local and national resource allocations as well as helping shape policy decisions. Data from the PIT count is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and VA plays a significant role as a community partner in these counts. A county-wide PIT count was conducted on Jan. 28, 2025, in Allegheny County, showing a 66% increase in overall unsheltered homelessness compared to 2024.
Holiday surge efforts strengthen support across VA regional networks
The surge event initiatives demonstrate significant progress toward ending Veteran homelessness and reflect the ongoing dedication of VA staff, as well as partners in VISN 4 and beyond. VISN 4 is a fully integrated VA regional network consisting of 9 VA campuses, 46 outpatient clinics and 16 vet centers, spanning 82 counties across Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as regions of Ohio, West Virginia, New York and southern New Jersey.
Find out more information about VA’s Homeless Program.