REPORT TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

Committee on Veterans (2026)

Part 8: Program Outcomes and Successful Transitions


Key Findings

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program measures success by whether veterans successfully transition from homelessness into stable, permanent housing.
  • Successful exits require more than housing placement; veterans must leave with the resources, healthcare connections, and independent living skills necessary to remain housed.
  • Borden Avenue Veterans' Residence reports an approximate 60% successful exit rate, while other GPD models, such as MANA House in Phoenix, Arizona, have reported successful exit rates approaching 90%.
  • Approximately 20% of veterans leaving Borden Avenue reportedly exit without a clearly identified successful housing outcome.
  • Unsuccessful transitions increase the likelihood that veterans return to homelessness, emergency shelters, hospitals, or criminal justice involvement.
  • The VA Office of Inspector General has emphasized the importance of accurate outcome data to evaluate whether GPD providers are achieving the program's mission.

 

The Purpose of a Successful Exit

The VA Grant and Per Diem Program was created to do more than provide temporary housing. The purpose of transitional housing is to help veterans resolve the underlying barriers that contributed to homelessness and prepare them for long-term independence.

A successful transition requires coordination of multiple services, including:

  • Permanent housing placement
  • VA healthcare connection
  • Disability benefits assistance
  • Employment preparation
  • Financial stability
  • Independent living skills
  • Transportation access
  • Community support

Moving a veteran into an apartment without these supports may end an episode of homelessness temporarily, but it does not guarantee long-term stability.

The ultimate measure of a GPD program is whether veterans remain successfully housed after leaving the program.

 

Borden Avenue Outcomes Compared With Other GPD Models

The report identifies significant differences between the outcomes reported by Borden Avenue and other transitional housing models.

The Borden Avenue Veterans' Residence reports approximately a 60% successful exit rate, meaning a significant percentage of veterans do not complete the program through a documented successful transition.

By comparison, the MANA House GPD program in Phoenix, Arizona, has reported successful exit rates approaching 90%.

The difference between these models reflects the importance of structured transitional programming. Successful GPD programs emphasize:

  • Daily structure
  • Veteran accountability
  • Peer support
  • Employment preparation
  • Community involvement
  • Connection to VA resources
  • Gradual preparation for independent housing

The purpose is not simply placing veterans into housing, but ensuring they have developed the foundation necessary to maintain that housing.

 

Unsuccessful Exits and Recidivism

The report identifies concerns regarding veterans who leave Borden Avenue without achieving stable permanent housing.

Approximately 20% of veterans reportedly exit without a clearly documented successful outcome, creating concerns about veterans disappearing from services altogether.

When veterans leave transitional housing without adequate preparation, they may return to the same systems they entered from:

  • Emergency shelters
  • Street homelessness
  • Hospital systems
  • Substance-use treatment programs
  • Mental health crisis services
  • Criminal justice systems

This cycle creates significant personal consequences for veterans and increases costs throughout the community.

A veteran who loses housing may again require shelter placement, outreach services, emergency medical care, psychiatric intervention, or additional housing assistance. As a result, unsuccessful transitions create financial impacts beyond the GPD program itself.

 

VA Oversight and Outcome Accuracy

The VA Office of Inspector General has previously identified concerns regarding the reliability of GPD outcome reporting.

The 2024 VA OIG report, "Additional Controls Are Needed to Improve the Reliability of Grant and Per Diem Program Data," found that accurate discharge information is essential because VA relies on successful exits and housing outcomes to measure program performance.

The VA OIG found that some reported successful housing outcomes were inaccurate or unsupported and that some negative exits were not properly recorded. Reliable information is necessary to determine whether veterans truly achieved permanent housing or later returned to homelessness.

 

The Need for Measurable Outcomes

A successful GPD program should be evaluated through measurable results, including:

  • Percentage of veterans permanently housed
  • Housing retention after exit
  • Employment outcomes
  • Connection to VA healthcare
  • Disability benefit access
  • Reduction in emergency services
  • Reduction in homelessness recidivism

Occupancy rates and funding levels alone do not determine success.

The question is whether veterans leave better prepared than when they arrived.

For New York City's only federally funded VA Grant and Per Diem transitional housing program, accountability requires measuring long-term outcomes rather than simply counting temporary placements.

The purpose of the program is not only to end homelessness for a day—it is to ensure veterans have the tools, support, and stability necessary to prevent homelessness from returning.