Introduction: The Blueprint for Success

What if you could invest in solutions that have already proven their effectiveness? In the fight against veteran homelessness, we now have a powerful blueprint of what works. Since 2010, veteran homelessness has decreased by an unprecedented 55.6%—from nearly 74,000 to 32,882 individuals—even as overall homelessness has increased nationwide. This remarkable success story isn’t happening by accident.

Behind these numbers lies a carefully crafted ecosystem of evidence-based strategies that have transformed tens of thousands of lives. The JKR Foundation has studied these proven approaches and integrated them into our sanctuary model, creating environments where veterans don’t just find housing—they rebuild lives with purpose, dignity, and community.

In this exploration of what works in addressing veteran homelessness in 2024, you’ll discover the key strategies driving this historic progress, how the JKR Foundation enhances these approaches through our unique sanctuary model, and how your support can help scale these proven solutions to reach more veterans in need. The evidence is clear: we know how to end veteran homelessness—and your partnership helps turn this knowledge into action.

The Proven Strategies Driving Historic Progress

Housing First: The Foundation of Success

The single most transformative shift in addressing veteran homelessness has been the widespread adoption of the Housing First approach. This evidence-based model prioritizes providing permanent housing quickly, then addressing other needs through supportive services—reversing the traditional approach that required veterans to demonstrate “housing readiness” before receiving assistance.

The results speak for themselves:

• 96% of veterans housed in 2024 remained in housing at year’s end
• 47,925 veterans permanently housed as part of VA’s FY 2024 goals
• 88,306 formerly homeless veterans housed through HUD-VASH—the highest number in program history

Housing First works because it recognizes stable housing as a foundation for addressing other challenges, not a reward for overcoming them. Like a computer operating system that must be installed before any applications can run effectively, stable housing creates the platform upon which all other life improvements can be built.

The JKR Foundation enhances this approach by creating not just housing, but healing communities where veterans find both the stability of a home and the support of a caring community. Our sanctuary model builds upon Housing First principles while adding the crucial elements of belonging and purpose that transform houses into homes.

Comprehensive Support Systems: Beyond the Roof

Housing alone isn’t enough. The most successful approaches integrate housing with comprehensive support services addressing the full spectrum of veterans’ needs:

• Healthcare integration: 22,300 veterans received care through Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams in 2024
• Employment support: 13,110+ new employment instances for veterans in homeless programs
• Legal assistance: 50,000+ justice-involved veterans received specialized support
• Peer mentorship: Veterans supporting fellow veterans through shared experience

This integrated approach recognizes that homelessness is rarely caused by a single factor. Like a sophisticated network where multiple nodes must communicate effectively, successful interventions connect various support systems to create a safety net that addresses both immediate housing needs and underlying factors contributing to instability.

The JKR Foundation’s sanctuary model exemplifies this comprehensive approach, providing not just housing but integrated support for mental health, substance recovery, employment readiness, and community integration. By addressing the whole person, we create sustainable pathways out of homelessness.

Prevention and Early Intervention: Stopping Homelessness Before It Begins

Perhaps the most cost-effective strategy is preventing homelessness before it occurs. In 2024, the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program served 149,638 veterans and family members—the highest number in program history—with many receiving preventive assistance that kept them in their homes.

Prevention works through:

• Emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, or other housing-related costs
• Landlord mediation to resolve issues before they lead to eviction
• Connection to benefits and income supports that stabilize financial situations
• Targeted outreach to veterans showing early warning signs of housing instability

Like a sophisticated early warning system that detects problems before they become crises, effective prevention programs identify and address risk factors before veterans lose their housing. This approach is not only more humane but also more cost-effective than responding to homelessness after it occurs.

The JKR Foundation complements these prevention efforts by creating community-based early warning networks that identify veterans at risk and connect them with resources before crisis strikes. Our community-centered approach helps identify struggling veterans who might otherwise fall through the cracks of larger systems.

Technology and Data-Driven Approaches: The Digital Revolution in Homeless Services

Communities that have effectively ended veteran homelessness consistently cite robust data systems as critical to their success. Modern approaches leverage technology to:

• Maintain by-name lists tracking each homeless veteran individually
• Coordinate entry systems matching veterans with appropriate resources
• Monitor outcomes in real-time to adjust strategies as needed
• Predict which veterans are at highest risk for targeted prevention

This data-driven approach transforms abstract goals into actionable information, allowing service providers to track progress, identify gaps, and adjust strategies in real time. Like a GPS navigation system that continuously recalculates the optimal route, these systems help communities stay on course toward ending veteran homelessness.

The JKR Foundation embraces these technological advances while maintaining a deeply human touch—using data to enhance, rather than replace, the personal connections that drive lasting change. Our sanctuary communities combine high-tech tracking with high-touch relationships, ensuring no veteran falls through the digital cracks.

How Your Support Amplifies What Works

Scaling Proven Solutions Through Strategic Philanthropy

Government programs provide the backbone of veteran homelessness services, but philanthropy plays a crucial role in enhancing and extending their impact. Your support of the JKR Foundation helps:

1. Fill critical gaps in existing systems, providing flexible funding for needs that government programs can’t address
2. Test innovative approaches that can later be adopted by larger systems
3. Provide the personal touch that large bureaucracies sometimes struggle to deliver
4. Create healing communities where veterans rebuild their lives alongside peers who understand their experiences
5. Respond quickly to emerging needs without bureaucratic delays

Your donation acts as a force multiplier, enhancing the effectiveness of existing systems while addressing their limitations. Like venture capital that helps promising startups scale their impact, your support helps proven approaches reach more veterans in need.

Specific Ways Your Support Makes a Difference

When you support the JKR Foundation’s veteran initiatives, your contribution directly enhances what works:

$100 provides emergency assistance that can prevent a veteran from becoming homeless
$500 supports peer mentorship programs connecting veterans with others who understand their experiences
$1,000 helps furnish a new housing unit in a supportive community
$5,000 contributes to technology systems that coordinate services and track outcomes
$10,000 helps develop new sanctuary housing that integrates proven best practices

Every dollar creates ripple effects, as housed veterans reconnect with family, regain employment, improve their health, and often become mentors to others following similar paths.

Taking Action: How You Can Help Scale What Works

Immediate Ways to Make a Difference

Your partnership with the JKR Foundation can take many forms:

1. Make a financial contribution through our secure online portal
2. Become a monthly supporter to provide sustainable funding for ongoing programs
3. Engage your workplace through corporate matching gifts or workplace giving campaigns
4. Share your expertise if you have professional skills in areas like mental health, technology, or housing development
5. Advocate for policies that support and expand proven approaches to veteran homelessness

The Multiplier Effect of Evidence-Based Giving

When you support proven approaches through the JKR Foundation, your donation creates impact far beyond the initial investment. For every veteran who achieves stable housing through evidence-based programs:

• Healthcare costs decrease by an average of 60%
• Involvement with justice systems typically decreases by 50%
• Employment rates increase by approximately 40%
• Family reunification becomes possible, strengthening community bonds
• Many become mentors and supporters for other veterans, multiplying your impact

This cascade of positive outcomes transforms not just individual lives but entire communities, creating a return on investment that continues for generations.

Conclusion: Investing in What Works

The dramatic reduction in veteran homelessness since 2010 proves that with proper resources, evidence-based strategies, and collaborative effort, we can solve seemingly intractable social problems. The 85 communities that have effectively ended veteran homelessness demonstrate that this goal is achievable nationwide.

The JKR Foundation stands at the intersection of proven approaches and innovative enhancement, creating sanctuaries that incorporate what works while addressing the limitations of existing systems. By supporting our work, you invest not in experiments or unproven theories but in strategies with demonstrated effectiveness.

Your support makes this possible. Every contribution helps transform the life of a veteran who once served our country and now needs our service in return. In this moment of both progress and persistent need, your partnership helps scale proven solutions to reach more veterans in need of healing and a home.

Will you join us in this mission? Your investment today in what works creates sanctuaries where veterans can heal tomorrow.