FAQs

It is an initiative created by the County of San Diego with regional, state, and federal veteran-serving partners to essentially end veteran homelessness throughout San Diego County by achieving Functional Zero.

The County is committed to ending veteran homelessness and is leading a collaborative of veteran-serving organizations to implement a Strategic Plan to achieve this goal. 

The Strategic Plan is comprised of a framework of seven strategic lines of effort each containing multiple desired outcomes and associated actions. The framework was developed by the County in partnership with local, regional and national partners to achieve the goal of Functional Zero. The seven lines of effort include:

1) Community Partnerships: This group created a communications plan to educate the public and engage change makers in the community to rally support for the initiative.

2) Data Collection: This group focuses on developing objectives, data metrics, and methods to track, assess and report progress on meeting Functional Zero. This group will also prioritize leveraging the existing veteran homeless By Name List to track progress and outcomes. 

3) Housing Solutions: This group determines necessary objectives and tasks to connect veterans to housing solutions. Priorities include ensuring there is adequate housing stock and increasing landlord engagement to house veterans.  

4) Supportive Services: This group determines necessary objectives and tasks to provide wraparound services to veterans experiencing homelessness. Priority items include increasing education and employment opportunities, coordinating supportive services, and streamlining access to VA benefits.

5) Veteran Homeless Outreach: This group develops ways to streamline, coordinate and enhance existing veteran homelessness outreach, including generating local community support and providing opportunities for individuals within the community to contribute to the effort. Priorities include increasing training for outreach staff on veteran resources, increasing provider coordination of outreach to veterans, and engaging veterans with lived experience to develop effective outreach approaches.

6) Funding: This group identifies funding needs and gaps to ending veteran homelessness. Priorities include completing a funding analysis of current efforts to identify funding priorities and gaps, and engaging state and federal partners in solution focused approach.

7) Prevention and Sustainment: This group determines objectives and tasks that enhance measures to prevent veterans from becoming homeless while maintaining Functional Zero. Priorities include leveraging knowledge to develop a Prevention and Sustainment Plan that is based on best practices and designed for the long term. The Prevention and Sustainment Plan will also include action items that promote equity.

No. Functional Zero....

The Leave No Veteran Homeless initiative was created after the San Diego Board of Supervisors voted unanimously for the County to lead a team of regional and state partners to find solutions and efficiencies to house veterans in the county. The initiative was provided 15 months and during that time housed more than 1,000 veterans. 

Efforts to support veterans continue with County partners and programs that remain highlighted on the No Veteran Homeless website. The initiative officially transitioned in October 2024.