VA and HUD announced a program to provide $15 million to five selected communities near military bases for housing assistance and prevention of homelessness.

The VA announced its Industry Innovation Competition to solicit new ideas for implementing the agency's agenda, including the use of existing facilities to "rapidly create highly functional, energy efficient and affordable housing."

The VA designated $39 million to fund about 2,200 new transitional housing beds for homeless veterans.

According to a VA press release, the number of homeless veterans on a single night "dropped 18 percent as the department entered the second year of its campaign to end homelessness among Veterans within five years."

The president's 2011 budget includes almost $800 million to help expand the Department of Veterans Affairs' services for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

As part of the omnibus spending bill signed by Obama, Congress granted Veterans Affairs $3.2 billion for "healthcare and support services for homeless veterans, including $26 million for a Presidential Initiative to combat homelessness, $150 million for the homeless grants and per diem program, $20 million for supportive services for low-income veterans and families, and $21 million to hire more personnel for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program."

At a homeless veterans summit in Washington, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki detailed his plan to end homelessness among veterans within five years. The VA plans to expand its services for education, jobs, health care and housing. It will also "participate in 12 pilot programs to demonstrate the effectiveness... of linking housing vouchers with supportive services," according to the National Coalition For Homeless Veterans.

Nineteen states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are receiving more than $17 million in grant money to provide 1,155 beds for homeless veterans.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and housing secretary Shaun Donovan say the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program will receive $75 million. The funds will be allocated to local public housing agencies to provide permanent supprtive housing to about 10,000 homeless veterans.

Former Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who has advocated easier home loans for vets, is sworn in as the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.

Under his FY10 budget outline, Obama seeks to launch a pilot program for homelessness in partnership with nonprofit organizations. The program would aim to "maintain stable housing for veterans who are at risk of falling into homelessness."

The stimulus bill signed by President Obama authorizes a temporary expansion of the homeowners assistance program to cover wounded and disabled members of the military, those permanently reassigned during the mortgage crisis, and their spouses. The Defense Department received $555 million for the aid.

Veterans Affairs nominee Eric Shinseki said at his Senate confirmation hearing that he would work with other agencies on the problem of veteran homelessness.