HUD-VASH Program Staffing and Referral Documentation Issues

GAO Reports

Published March 30th, 2026

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

GAO released audit findings on the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, revealing that VA did not refer approximately 174,000 eligible veterans to the program during 2020-2024, with reasons undocumented in 87% of cases. The audit identified chronic case manager staffing shortages with 20-26% annual turnover and over 20% vacancy rates at many VA medical centers. GAO made recommendations to improve documentation practices, hiring strategies, and program evaluation.

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What changed

GAO examined the HUD-VASH program, a joint HUD-VA initiative providing housing vouchers and case management to veterans experiencing homelessness through VA medical centers. The audit found that during 2020-2024, VA failed to refer 174,045 eligible veterans to the program, and did not document the reason why in 151,296 instances (87%). High case manager turnover (20-26% annually) and persistent vacancies—with more than a quarter of facilities having 20%+ unfilled positions—reduced services and delayed admissions.

GAO recommended that VA consistently collect data on referral barriers and develop hiring strategies to address vacancies, and that HUD clearly define Tribal HUD-VASH program objectives and implement an evaluation plan. No compliance deadline or penalties are associated with this audit report. The report was mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.

What to do next

Review HUD-VASH referral processes and implement documentation of reasons veterans are not referred
Assess case manager staffing levels and develop targeted hiring and retention strategies
Establish clear objectives and evaluation metrics for Tribal HUD-VASH program

Source document (simplified)

GAO-26-107517 Published: Mar 30, 2026. Publicly Released: Mar 30, 2026.

Fast Facts

The Veterans Affairs Department collaborates with the Department of Housing and Urban Development on a program that provides affordable housing and related support to veterans experiencing homelessness.

However, sometimes VA staff don't refer eligible veterans to the program. During 2020-2024, 174,000 eligible veterans were not referred, and VA didn't document the reason why for most of them (87%). Having such data can help VA fix problems that keep people out of the program—such as not having enough VA case managers to support program participants.

We made recommendations to help address this and other issues.

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Highlights

What GAO Found

The Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) jointly operate the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Veterans experiencing homelessness receive HUD housing vouchers and VA case management delivered through local VA medical centers.

VA has faced challenges hiring and retaining enough case managers. In fiscal year 2024, more than one-quarter of medical centers with two or more case managers had at least 20 percent of these positions unfilled (see figure). Factors contributing to vacancies included staff burnout and turnover. GAO analysis of VA data shows that annual case manager turnover ranged from 20 percent to 26 percent in fiscal years 2020–2024. Stakeholders at all eight sites GAO visited described periods of high turnover and persistent vacancies. The effects of insufficient staffing include reduced services for veterans and delays in admitting new participants.

HUD-VASH Case Manager Staffing Levels in Fiscal Year 2024, by VA Medical Center

Each dot represents a VA medical center’s staffing level for the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

VA has taken steps to improve case manager hiring but has not consistently collected data on reasons that prevented veterans from entering HUD-VASH. Of 174,045 instances of veterans not being referred to the program in 2020–2024, VA did not document the reason in 151,296 (87 percent), according to GAO’s analysis. With more complete data on the reasons, VA could better assess its unmet need, adjust hiring strategies, and allocate case managers accordingly. VA then would be better positioned to serve more veterans.

HUD launched the Tribal HUD-VASH pilot program in fiscal year 2016 to test a new approach to serving American Indian/Alaska Native veterans and had served over 1,100 veterans as of April 2025, according to HUD. HUD’s program design aligns to some extent with leading practices GAO identified in prior work. For example, HUD communicated with stakeholders at all stages of the program. But HUD has not clearly defined the program’s objectives or how it will measure progress toward them. HUD also has not implemented an evaluation plan. By fully incorporating leading practices, HUD could help ensure it has the information needed to make informed decisions about the program.

Why GAO Did This Study

HUD estimated that 32,882 veterans experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2024. Some policymakers note that this population faces significant barriers, including high housing costs. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 includes a provision for GAO to review VA case management and the availability of affordable housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. This report examines, among other things, challenges reported by VA staff and stakeholders related to (1) hiring and retaining case managers for HUD-VASH, and (2) implementing Tribal HUD-VASH.

GAO analyzed data on HUD-VASH case managers for fiscal years 2020–2024; reviewed VA and HUD policies and guidance; and reviewed HUD documentation on the Tribal HUD-VASH program. GAO interviewed officials from VA and HUD and housing and service providers at eight sites GAO visited (selected for geographic diversity and prevalence of veteran homelessness).

Recommendations

GAO recommends that VA collect comprehensive data on the reasons veterans are not referred to HUD-VASH and take appropriate corrective actions. GAO also recommends that HUD clearly define measurable objectives and develop and implement a data analysis plan to evaluate Tribal HUD-VASH. VA agreed with the recommendation. HUD did not agree or disagree but indicated it would take actions to implement the recommendation.

Recommendations for Executive Action

| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should ensure that the Senior Executive Director of the Homeless Programs Office develops a method for requiring VAMCs to collect data on the reasons eligible veterans were not referred to HUD-VASH, including when veterans are not referred due to insufficient case management capacity, and use these data, as appropriate, to inform staffing assessments. (Recommendation 1) | Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should ensure that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs clearly define its objectives for the Tribal HUD-VASH pilot program and how it will measure progress toward them and develop and implement a data collection and analysis plan for evaluating the program. The plan should include how lessons learned will inform decisions on scalability or integrating pilot activities into overall efforts. (Recommendation 2) | Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. |

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Alicia Puente Cackley Director Financial Markets and Community Investment cackleya@gao.gov

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Housing Housing Veterans Homelessness Human capital management Federal hiring Case management Affordable housing Housing assistance Urban development Communities