The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently awarded more than $18 million to community organizations across Vermont and New Hampshire, helping them continue to house and support veterans without homes.
“Having the funding solidified again and the grants to these organizations really helps ensure veterans are being seen and heard, and getting the opportunities to get their feet back underneath them,” said Katherine Tang, public affairs officer for the White River Junction VA Medical Center.
Veterans made up 3% of Vermont’s unhoused population in 2025 — 111 total individuals according to the 2025 State of Homelessness in Vermont report. That was a 3% increase from the 2024 count of 107 veterans experiencing homelessness statewide.
The $18 million is part of $1.17 billion awarded to 680 organizations nationwide, according to a news release from the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The funding follows a nationwide push in 2025 to house veterans, when 51,936 veterans found homes — the highest number in seven years. The White River Junction VA Medical Center helped 107 local veterans find homes in 2025, according to Vermont Business Magazine.
According to the press release, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program and the Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem program will distribute grant funds totaling $18,499,223.
The Supportive Services program will allocate funds to three efforts: securing housing for veterans facing imminent homelessness, finding more appropriate housing for veterans and their families, and quickly finding housing for veterans and families experiencing homelessness, the press release said.
Funds distributed through the Grant Per Diem program will support two transitional housing programs in Northfield, Vt., and Bradford, Vt., according to Brooke Whalen, the Grant Per Diem liaison at the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The programs, called Veterans’ Place and Veterans Inc., offer both housing and care to veterans with the goal of securing permanent housing within a year.
“The GPD programs provide a sense of community and also assist Veterans with connecting to their new communities and assist them with applying for employment, and exploring ways to increase their income including becoming service connected,” Whalen wrote.
“Veterans’ Place provides a home to help people get back on their feet, rather than simply being a place to lay your head for a few days,” offering resources including clothing, food and counseling, according to Raylene Meunier, managing director of the center.
The journey home from war can be painful, according to Tang, spokesperson at the White River VA hospital. Many veterans struggle with the loss of the found family they built with their fellow service members and the emotional effects of war, she said.
“You struggle with the depression that comes after that, the feeling of loneliness, and then isolation happens,” Tang said, “and that can lead to just not getting your feet underneath you, which is why veterans do experience homelessness, specifically after the transition period.”
Readjusting to civilian life is difficult for practical reasons as well, Whalen wrote in an email. For veterans who joined the military at 18, it can be especially challenging.
“Many entered the military at the age of 18 and had a limited idea of how to live independently,” Whalen wrote. “When they re-enter civilian life they are sometimes doing things for the first time, such as applying for jobs, completing housing applications, enrolling in healthcare.”
Tang emphasized the power of community members in helping veterans readjust to civilian life. She encouraged landlords and housing providers to offer rental opportunities to veterans in homelessness programs.
For veterans struggling with housing, Tang urged them to reach out to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
“No veteran should be homeless in the country they fought to defend,” Tang said, “and so that is why we have a group of highly trained professionals to go out into the community and try to make that connection with veterans that are at risk of homelessness or are currently experiencing homelessness.”
This story was republished with permission from VtDigger, which offers its reporting at no cost to local news organizations through its Community News Sharing Project. To learn more, visit vtdigger.org/community-news-sharing-project.