NEWS

Housing for Older Veterans a Focus in Massachusetts Office of the Veteran Advocate’s First Five-Year Strategic Plan

Oct 21, 2026

The Massachusetts Office of the Veteran Advocate (OVA) today announced the release of its first five-year Strategic Plan, establishing a roadmap to guide the independent state agency’s work from Fiscal Year 2027 through Fiscal Year 2031.

The plan identifies five strategic priorities focused on strengthening the OVA’s capacity, improving access to veterans’ benefits and services, examining housing and employment opportunities, and building trust and collaboration among organizations serving Massachusetts veterans and their families.

Among the strategic priorities is the following:

Review Housing Opportunities: Examine the housing needs of aging veterans, research alternative housing models, and identify opportunities to improve access to safe and attainable housing.

The strategic plan mentions that more than half the population of veterans in Massachusetts is age 65 and older. The plan states that “gaining a stronger understanding of the geographical density and needs of older veterans across the state will inform leaders in implementing appropriate options for housing locations that support those needs.”

The actions under that priority include:

  1. Collaborate with Continuum of Care programs to improve homeless veteran access to shelters
  2. Research and report on housing models which have been developed in Massachusetts and in other states for veterans over the age of 60
  3. Create a density map of Massachusetts depicting where veterans over the age of 60 are living
  4. Assess the assisted living, supportive and congregate housing options available in those geographies with high concentration of veterans over the age of 60
  5. Review the process of using VA-backed Home Loans for affordable home-ownership opportunities in Massachusetts

The full FY2027–FY2031 Strategic Plan from the Office of the Veteran Advocate’s is available online at https://www.mass.gov/doc/ova-fy2027-2031-strategic-plan/download.

For more information about the Office of the Veteran Advocate and its work on behalf of Massachusetts veterans and their families, visit www.mass.gov/OVA.