Key Issues > Homelessness
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Homelessness

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the issue of homelessness, in part because the economic downturn has placed more individuals and households at risk of homelessness. Federal homelessness programs are fragmented across multiple agencies and some show evidence of overlap.

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Federal programs for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness generally are designed to provide housing assistance and other services such as health care, job training, or substance abuse treatment. The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Veterans Affairs (VA)—are responsible for the majority of programs. For example:

  • HUD is the primary agency providing funding for housing, such as emergency shelters, permanent housing, and transitional housing. In addition, HUD collects data on homelessness in part to assist with service planning on the federal level.
  • HHS and VA typically operate programs or provide funding for supportive services such as health care, substance abuse treatment, and employment assistance, though most VA programs are available only to men and women who have served in the military and been discharged under honorable or general circumstances.

These agencies and the Department of Labor have multiple programs that offer similar services to similar beneficiaries. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is required to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and has taken several steps to coordinate efforts and promote initiatives across federal agencies, including developing a strategic plan.

Looking for our recommendations? Click on any report to find each associated recommendation and its current implementation status.
Federal Real Property: More Useful Information to Providers Could Improve the Homeless Assistance Program
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-739

GAO-14-739: Published: Sep 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2014.
Veteran Homelessness: VA and HUD Are Working to Improve Data on Supportive Housing Program
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-726

GAO-12-726: Published: Jun 26, 2012. Publicly Released: Jun 26, 2012.
Homelessness: Fragmentation and Overlap in Programs Highlight the Need to Identify, Assess, and Reduce Inefficiencies
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-491

GAO-12-491: Published: May 10, 2012. Publicly Released: May 10, 2012.
Homeless Women Veterans: Actions Needed to Ensure Safe and Appropriate Housing
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-182

GAO-12-182: Published: Dec 23, 2011. Publicly Released: Jan 23, 2012.
Homelessness: A Common Vocabulary Could Help Agencies Collaborate and Collect More Consistent Data
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-702

GAO-10-702: Published: Jun 30, 2010. Publicly Released: Jun 30, 2010.

More Reports

Community Development Block Grants: Sources of Data on Community Income Are Limited
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-734

GAO-16-734: Published: Sep 6, 2016. Publicly Released: Sep 6, 2016.
Higher Education: Actions Needed to Improve Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-343

GAO-16-343: Published: May 19, 2016. Publicly Released: May 19, 2016.
Federal Real Property: Improving Data Transparency and Expanding the National Strategy Could Help Address Long-standing Challenges
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-275

GAO-16-275: Published: Mar 31, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 12, 2016.
Office of National Drug Control Policy: Lack of Progress on Achieving National Strategy Goals
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-257T

GAO-16-257T: Published: Dec 2, 2015. Publicly Released: Dec 2, 2015.
Managing for Results: Practices for Effective Agency Strategic Reviews
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-602

GAO-15-602: Published: Jul 29, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2015.
Federal Real Property: Current Efforts, GAO Recommendations, and Proposed Legislation Could Address Challenges [Reissued on June 24, 2015]
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-688T

GAO-15-688T: Published: Jun 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2015.
Military Base Realignments and Closures: Process for Reusing Property for Homeless Assistance Needs Improvements
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-274

GAO-15-274: Published: Mar 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2015.
Mental Health: HHS Leadership Needed to Coordinate Federal Efforts Related to Serious Mental Illness
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-375T

GAO-15-375T: Published: Feb 11, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 11, 2015.
Land-Use Agreements: Improved Data Reliability and Monitoring Needed for Department of Veterans Affairs
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-134T

GAO-15-134T: Published: Feb 10, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 10, 2015.
Mental Health: HHS Leadership Needed to Coordinate Federal Efforts Related to Serious Mental Illness
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-113

GAO-15-113: Published: Dec 18, 2014. Publicly Released: Feb 5, 2015.
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