Though there are nearly 70,000 homeless veterans in the United States, the commonwealth of Virginia became the first to reach "functional zero," as reported by WTVR 6 News. This means that every homeless former servicemember in Virginia has been housed or offered housing.
"On a day when we remember those who fought and died for our nation, I am proud to proclaim that Virginia is leading the way in the fight to end veteran homelessness," Governor McAuliffe said in his Veterans Day announcement speech. "This successful effort will serve as the launching pad for our next goal of functionally ending chronic homelessness among all Virginians by the end of 2017."
Virginia was able to put an end to the homelessness issue by incorporating ideas from the Housing First program. According to the Fairfax County government website, the programs places homeless veterans immediately into permanent housing and provides transitional support. The organization believes that by skipping the instability of shelters, veterans are more likely to get back on their feet.
Utah, New York and Louisiana are all following in Virginia's footsteps to make a greater effort to find homes for all their region's homeless veterans.