Department of Veterans Affairs likely to miss goals on claims, homelessness

WASHINGTON — Though it has made much progress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is likely to miss its target on two ambitious goals: ending veteran homelessness in 2015 and ending the backlog in disability claims.

The latest count available shows about 50,000 homeless veterans on a single night in January 2014. That's a decline of 33 percent from January 2010. Results from the January 2015 count are expected this month.

The disability and pension claims backlog is on a downward path as well.

The number of claims pending for more than 125 days soared from about 180,000 at the start of 2010 to more than 611,000 in March 2013. It now is about 76,000.

Veterans groups view the twin goals of ending homeless and the disability claim backlog with a healthy dose of reality. They're generally encouraged by the trend lines.

“If you don't meet your goals, it doesn't necessarily mean failure,” said Joe Davis, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars.