VA Awards $40 Million to Combat Veteran Homelessness in Arizona

In a major step forward in the fight against Veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $40 million in grants to six organizations across Arizona. These funds are part of the VA’s nationwide Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program aimed at preventing and ending homelessness among Vets and their families.

The Arizona-based organizations selected for the grants include Catholic Charities Community Services, Primavera Foundation, Community Bridges, the United States Veterans Initiative, National Community Health Partners, and Nation’s Finest. Nation’s Finest, which received the largest grant at nearly $23 million, will work alongside the others to provide support services throughout the state during 2026.

These funds will support a range of essential services to help Veterans secure and maintain stable housing, including housing assistance and counseling, healthcare access, financial planning, legal aid, childcare, and transportation. Together, these supports are designed to address the root causes of homelessness and help Veterans build a foundation for long-term stability.

“Supportive services like childcare, housing counseling, and financial planning can be important catalysts for preventing or resolving homelessness,” Stephanie Young, Interim Director of Veterans Integrated Service Network, said. “These grants will help bring crucial support to thousands of Veterans in need.”

The grants are part of a larger $818 million investment being made through the VA’s nationwide SSVF program. This initiative focuses on three goals: preventing the imminent loss of a Veteran’s home, helping Veterans find new housing, and re-housing those who are already homeless. Grant recipients were chosen based on their track record, organizational capacity, and level of need.

The VA’s commitment to improving the lives of Veterans doesn’t stop at housing. In recent months, the department has taken significant steps to expand access to healthcare, reduce wait times for benefits, and modernize infrastructure.

Since January 2025, the VA has reduced its benefits backlog by more than 45 percent, opened 17 new health care clinics, and invested an additional $800 million into facility improvements. Nearly one million health care appointments have been offered outside regular hours to provide more convenient access to care.

In terms of disability benefits, the VA has processed a record 2.52 million claims in fiscal year 2025 as of August. Additionally, major reforms have been implemented to simplify access to benefits for survivors, while new efforts have improved coordination with non-VA healthcare providers and recovered $106 million in duplicate billing through a partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In the ongoing effort to eliminate Veteran homelessness, the VA has housed more than 37,000 Veterans in fiscal year 2025. These latest grants will help continue that progress, offering thousands of Veterans the support they need to transition out of homelessness and into stability and self-sufficiency.

As Arizona continues to face housing challenges, this investment offers hope, and tangible help, for Veterans who have served the nation and now need support themselves. For more behind this Frontdoor, visit va.gov.