Bringing Veterans Home Initiative Seeks to House All New Jersey Veterans by July 1, 2026

SEA GIRT, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA) yesterday began a two-day training session at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt highlighting New Jersey’s Bringing Veterans Home initiative to reduce veterans’ homelessness to functional zero. The Bringing Veterans Home initiative seeks to house all homeless veterans in the state by July 1, 2026, while strengthening the State’s homelessness prevention system so that any newly homeless veteran can be placed in stable housing within one month. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much to uphold our nation’s freedom and deserve our deepest gratitude and respect for their service,” said Governor Murphy. “Our Administration is committed to providing the many veterans who call the Garden State home the support and resources they need to thrive. I am grateful to Commissioner Suárez and Brigadier General Mays for their continued efforts to ensure every veteran in New Jersey has a safe and dignified place to call home.”

“The Bringing Veterans Home initiative formally unites federal, state, and veteran service organizations throughout the state in the fight against unsheltered veteran homelessness,” said NJDCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “Using this collaborative approach, we will be sheltering our homeless veterans this year and next, while creating a strategic framework that will carry momentum long into the future.”

“Bringing Veterans Home represents a groundbreaking step toward ensuring that no Veteran endures the hardship of homelessness,” said Brig. Gen. Yvonne L. Mays, Commissioner of the NJDMAVA and the Adjutant General of New Jersey. “Thanks to Governor Murphy, the Legislature, the NJDCA and NJDMAVA teams and so many passionate volunteers throughout the entire state, we are in a position to effectively end veteran homelessness."

The Bringing Veterans Home initiative coordinates efforts between DCA’s Office of Homelessness Prevention, NJDMAVA, federal partners at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and multiple veterans service organizations. This combined effort will ensure the State can reach its goal to house 300 veterans within the next 180 days and reach functional zero by July 1, 2026. 

More than $30 million in State and federal funds have been committed to support these services and interventions over the span of two years, to place more than 1,000 homeless New Jersey veterans into stable housing. Services and interventions include Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (VASH) vouchers and other rental assistance, the State’s Veterans Haven transitional housing facilities, and Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF) programs. 

Additionally, the initiative will expand homelessness diversion, rapid rehousing, street outreach, emergency sheltering, and permanent housing voucher programs to more rapidly achieve housing stabilization for all program-eligible veterans.

“Success requires collaboration,” said Michael Callahan, Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. “This training event shared key insights on veteran homelessness through data analysis and interviews with people who’ve experienced it firsthand. This knowledge sharing helps us meet our goal.” 

“We appreciate the support from all community partners involved in this effort in ending Veteran homelessness,” said Wilmington VA Medical Center Interim Director, Dr. Matt Morris. “One homeless Veteran is one too many, we want to make sure all Veterans are receiving the VA services they’ve earned.”

NJDMAVA provides highly trained, professional, and ready forces - prepared for rapid response to various civil and military operations - while providing exemplary services to New Jersey Service Members, Veterans, and their families.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, disaster recovery and mitigation, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about NJDMAVA, visit https://www.nj.gov/military/.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media:

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