Sherrill administration says New Jersey now has housing resources to prevent veteran homelessness
TRENTON, N.J. — Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Wednesday that New Jersey has established a statewide housing support system designed to ensure no veteran has to experience homelessness.
State officials said the milestone was achieved through the Bringing Veterans Home initiative, which has created a coordinated network of housing resources intended to make veteran homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. According to the state, more veterans are now entering permanent housing each month than are becoming homeless.
“I am incredibly honored to announce that, because of the quick and effective response of our Bringing Veterans Home initiative, every veteran in New Jersey can now access stable housing,” said Governor Sherrill. “This milestone is a groundbreaking achievement. No veteran in our state should endure the hardship of homelessness. We are proud that New Jersey is a leader in ending veteran homelessness and we stand ready to serve as a model for other states on this critical issue.”
The initiative launched in November 2024 with more than $30 million in state and federal funding committed over two years to provide housing and supportive services for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Since then, the program has permanently housed more than 2,500 veterans, according to the administration.
“If a New Jersey veteran experiences a housing crisis, Bringing Veterans Home is the backstop preventing full scale homelessness,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “Our work is more than housing placement. It is about long-term stability. We are making sure veterans have access to the services and support they need to remain in stable, quality housing that they can call home.”
“In a state where our motto is Liberty and Prosperity, no veteran should go to sleep without a roof over their head,” said DVA Commissioner Vincent Solomeno III. “Bringing Veterans Home demonstrates what is possible when government stops asking people in crisis to navigate bureaucratic boundaries and instead organizes itself around the outcome we want to achieve.”
The Department of Community Affairs’ Office of Homelessness Prevention leads the initiative in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and veterans service organizations.
As part of the initiative, six regional coordination hubs have been established across the state to improve case management and streamline veterans’ access to housing assistance. The hubs connect veterans with resources including Veterans Affairs Supported Housing vouchers, State Rental Assistance Program vouchers, rapid rehousing assistance, emergency shelter and outreach services.
“The phrase ‘homeless veteran’ should not be a thing,” said Senator Raj Mukherji, chairman of the Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Those who served our nation in uniform deserve, at a minimum, to never go without a roof over their heads. This milestone and Governor Sherrill’s whole-of-government commitment to achieving functional zero represent serious progress toward our obligation to our veterans.”
“The primary measure of Bringing Veterans Home’s success is not a single point-in-time count of veterans who are homeless, but its sustained capacity to rapidly assist veterans in need of housing,” said DCA Assistant Commissioner Janel Winter, who directs the Division of Housing and Community Resources. “We’ve changed the paradigm in New Jersey to create a sustainable system that provides quick and effective outreach to veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and assist them quickly into shelter, housing and access to the services they need.”
“Bringing Veterans Home works because of consistent partner participation, robust communication, and shared data visibility,” said Tina McGill, director of DCA’s Office of Homelessness Prevention. “This achievement shows what’s possible with coordinated commitment and provides a framework we can replicate for other vulnerable populations in New Jersey.”
“New Jersey is showing what’s possible when state leaders, local providers, and veteran organizations treat veteran homelessness as a solvable challenge and organize around a clear goal: helping every veteran in a housing crisis quickly reach a stable home,” said Rosanne Haggerty, president and CEO of Community Solutions, a nonprofit organization that works with local and national partners to reduce veteran homelessness. “Bringing Veterans Home pairs sustained investment in housing assistance with real time data, coordinated action, and accountability for results. New Jersey veterans get fast, effective help in exiting homelessness, with few returning. This disciplined, outcomes-focused approach is the way to make veteran homelessness rare and brief across the country.”
Veterans in need of housing assistance can self-refer through the Bringing Veterans Home website, by calling NJ Vet2Vet or NJ 211, or through participating housing and homelessness service providers. The program aims to contact veterans within 24 hours of a referral and place them in stable housing within 30 days.
More information about the initiative is available at bvh.dca.nj.gov.
