The need for veteran housing support in northern Arizona reached a new high last year as the number of unhoused veterans increased nationwide.
A spokesperson for the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System says they permanently housed 434 veterans from October of last year to the end of September, surpassing their goal by about 9%.
Nationally, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs housed nearly 52,000 homeless vets during that same time period — an 8% increase from 2024 and the highest number in seven years.
Officials say tight housing supply and rising living costs are major drivers in the spike.
Twenty-three new units are set to open in January at the Fort Whipple campus in Prescott for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, followed by an additional 80 in June.
