The Department of Veterans Affairs had placed 38,847 veterans in permanent housing by the end of October, exceeding its 2023 goal of 38,000 by two months, Military.com reported this morning.

“More than 38,000 veterans now have the safe, stable homes that they deserve – and there’s nothing more important than that,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “While we met our goals for 2023, we’re not stopping here. We’re going to keep pushing – through the end of this calendar year and beyond – until every veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they fought to defend.”

Helping place veterans in homes also ensures they have access to other VA services, according to Monica Díaz, executive director of the VA Homeless Programs Office.

“If the veterans are engaging in our system, they know where to go,” Diaz said. “They know where to find this help.”

AP photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez