The Road Home’s Veteran Housing team served 650 veterans and family members in fiscal 2026, helping 187 secure housing and preventing homelessness for 91 veterans and families.
The Road Home has been awarded a renewed grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. The funding will continue housing navigation and stabilization services for Utah veterans and their families experiencing homelessness through fiscal 2027.
For The Road Home, the work extends beyond finding someone a place to live. It centers on creating the stability people need to pursue personal goals, whether that means maintaining recovery, returning to school, finding employment or rebuilding connections with family and community.
During fiscal 2026, The Road Home’s Veteran Housing team served 650 veterans and family members through 555 household enrollments. The team helped 187 veterans secure housing, prevented homelessness among 91 veterans and families, and assisted 365 households in moving into permanent housing.
The support continues after a household secures a home. Currently, 243 households remain connected to SSVF services, including 148 households maintaining permanent housing with ongoing case support and 95 working with outreach staff to secure or retain housing.
From housing stability to a new future
For one Utah veteran, stable housing became the foundation for a new career path.
After completing a substance use treatment program, the veteran joined The Road Home’s SSVF-funded Veteran Housing program to secure housing and rebuild his life. Once housed, he maintained sobriety and enrolled in school to become a substance use disorder counselor, a goal rooted in his personal experience and desire to help others.
As he continues his education, he will transition to a longer-term partial rent subsidy, paying 50% of his rent while maintaining the stability that allows him to focus on school and recovery.
His story reflects what housing stability makes possible: not simply shelter, but the opportunity to pursue education, employment, recovery and long-term self-sufficiency.
“We see extraordinary resilience, determination and selflessness in the veterans we serve,” said Emily Covarrubias, veteran services manager at The Road Home. “Many veterans wait a long time before reaching out for help because they worry that by using a resource, they may be taking it away from another veteran who needs it. For any veteran reading this, don’t wait to get help. You have served and sacrificed for this country and have earned every resource available to you.”
Meeting veterans where they are
The Road Home takes a proactive approach to reaching veterans before or during a housing crisis. Outreach specialists connect directly with veterans in emergency shelters, public libraries, VA medical centers, transitional facilities and unsheltered locations.
Once connected, veterans and their families receive individualized support, including:
- Housing navigation: Identifying affordable housing, working with landlords and providing move-in assistance.
- Housing stability: Offering ongoing support to help households maintain housing and address challenges before they become emergencies.
- Benefits and community connections: Linking veterans with VA benefits, health care, employment opportunities, legal assistance and other community resources.
- Ongoing case management: Working alongside veterans as circumstances change to ensure long-term housing retention.
“Our work with veterans goes far beyond simply finding four walls and a roof,” said Michelle Flynn, executive director of The Road Home. “It is about meeting people wherever they are, understanding their individual needs and walking alongside them as they build a stable life. Federal support gives us a vital foundation, while community partners and local donors provide the flexibility to respond to the individual challenges that can make the difference between temporary housing and lasting stability.”
Local community contributions remain critical, allowing The Road Home to address needs that federal funding cannot cover, including emergency assistance, security deposits and move-in costs.
“Ending veteran homelessness requires all of us,” Flynn said. “When a veteran has a safe place to live and the support to stay there, they have more room to focus on what comes next. Our community has an important role in making those next steps possible.”
How to help
To make a tax-deductible donation or explore volunteer opportunities, visit theroadhome.org/donate.
How veterans can access services
Veterans in Salt Lake County who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing can contact The Road Home’s SSVF team directly:
- Phone: 385-977-2920
- Email: [email protected]
About The Road Home
The Road Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families step out of homelessness. Through emergency shelter, tailored housing assistance and individualized case management, The Road Home helps people address complex barriers to achieve lasting stability. For more information, visit theroadhome.org.www.theroadhome.org
