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Wilkinson R, Byrne T, Cowden RG, Long KNG, Kuhn JH, Koh HK, Tsai J. First Decade of Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program and Homelessness, 2012-2022. Am J Public Health 2024; 114:610-618. [PMID: 38718339 PMCID: PMC11079843 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2024.307625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
As homelessness remains an urgent public health crisis in the United States, specific programs in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system may serve as a roadmap for addressing it. We examine lessons learned from the first decade (2012-2022) of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, a cornerstone in the VA continuum of homeless services aimed at both preventing homelessness among those at risk and providing rapid rehousing for veterans and their families who are currently experiencing homelessness. Drawing on information from annual reports and other relevant literature, we have identified 3 themes of SSVF that emerged as features to comprehensively deliver support for homeless veterans and their families: (1) responsiveness and flexibility, (2) coordination and integration, and (3) social resource engagement. Using these strategies, SSVF reached nearly three quarters of a million veterans and their families in its first decade, thereby becoming one of the VA's most substantial programmatic efforts designed to address homelessness. We discuss how each feature might apply to addressing homelessness in the general population as well as future research directions. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(6):610-618. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307625).
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Affiliation(s)
- Renae Wilkinson
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - Thomas Byrne
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - Richard G Cowden
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - Katelyn N G Long
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - John H Kuhn
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - Howard K Koh
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
| | - Jack Tsai
- Renae Wilkinson, Richard G. Cowden, and Katelyn N. G. Long are with the Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Thomas Byrne is with the School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA. John H. Kuhn is with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. Howard K. Koh is with the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Jack Tsai is with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Washington DC
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