Federal funding boosts Vermont programs working to house homeless veterans

In 2025, veterans accounted for 3% of the state’s unhoused population, or 111 people, according to the 2025 State of Homelessness in Vermont report.

Vermont organizations serving unhoused veterans are set to benefit from a new round of federal support, as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has allocated more than $18 million for providers in Vermont and New Hampshire. The money is intended to help groups keep veterans in housing, connect them with services and move them toward stable, permanent living situations.

The award totals $18,499,223 and is being distributed through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program and the Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem program, according to the White River Junction VA Medical Center. Nationwide, the VA said it awarded $1.17 billion to 680 organizations.

Veteran homelessness remains a measurable part of Vermont’s broader housing crisis. In 2025, veterans accounted for 3% of the state’s unhoused population, or 111 people, according to the 2025 State of Homelessness in Vermont report. That figure was up from 107 veterans in 2024, a 3% increase.

The White River Junction VA Medical Center helped place 107 local veterans into housing in 2025. That effort came during a year when 51,936 veterans nationwide found homes, the largest annual total in seven years.

Programs receiving the new money will use it in different ways. Supportive Services for Veteran Families will direct funding toward veterans on the verge of losing housing, families needing more suitable living arrangements and people already experiencing homelessness who need help finding shelter quickly.

The Grant Per Diem program will support transitional housing in Northfield and Bradford, said Brooke Whalen, who serves as the Grant Per Diem liaison at the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The two programs, Veterans’ Place and Veterans Inc., provide housing and services aimed at helping veterans secure permanent homes within a year.

Raylene Meunier, managing director of Veterans’ Place, said the center is designed to do more than provide a short stay. She described it as a place where veterans can rebuild their lives with access to clothing, food and counseling.

Officials say the path from military service to civilian life can be especially difficult. Katherine Tang, a public affairs officer at the White River Junction VA Medical Center, said many veterans lose the close support network they had during service and then face depression, loneliness and isolation.

Whalen also noted that some veterans enter civilian life without much experience living independently, especially those who enlisted at 18. She said basic tasks such as applying for work, completing housing paperwork and enrolling in health care can be new and overwhelming.

Tang urged landlords and other housing providers to consider renting to veterans participating in homelessness programs. She also encouraged veterans who need help to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.