Bringing Veterans Home Data Infrastructure

Overview

Bringing Veterans Home is a partnership between the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs to end veteran homelessness. The initiative coordinates six regional hubs across the state, working toward a shared goal: achieving “Functional Zero”—housing veterans within 30 days of identification.

In my role at DCA, I designed and oversee the data infrastructure that enables this coordination, including the statewide by-name list system, electronic referral workflows, and reporting dashboards that help regional teams track progress and identify veterans in need.

The Initiative

New Jersey’s approach to veteran homelessness prevention operates through interconnected entry points and housing programs:

Entry Points

• Coordinated Entry and VA/DVA referrals
• Community partner referrals
• Self-referral through the public portal
• Street outreach teams

Housing Programs

• Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)
• HUD-VASH vouchers
• State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP)

Six regional hubs across New Jersey work collaboratively, sharing data through a unified system to ensure no veteran falls through the cracks when moving between counties or service providers.

Data Infrastructure

The technical systems supporting this initiative enable effective coordination across regions and agencies.

By-Name List System

The statewide by-name list aggregates data from continuums of care across New Jersey. This system:

• Ingests and validates data from multiple regional sources
• Ensures schema compliance through automated validation
• Tracks housing progress for individual veterans across the state
• Generates reporting products for internal and external stakeholders

Electronic Referral System

Built on the Simpligov platform, the electronic referral form connects veterans with services through:

• Guided intake process that adapts based on veteran circumstances
• Automatic routing to appropriate regional hubs
• Documentation generation for case management
• Integration with existing workflows used by regional coordinators

Public Website

The initiative’s public-facing website at bvh.dca.nj.gov provides information for veterans seeking assistance, self-referral capability, and resources for community partners and service providers.

Analytics Dashboards

Real-time reporting dashboards pull from the by-name list system to track progress toward Functional Zero goals, monitor regional performance, and identify where resources are most needed.

Collaborative Approach

This work reflects coordination across multiple state agencies and community partners. The Office of Homelessness Prevention within DCA works closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs and regional service providers to ensure the data systems serve the people using them daily.

The infrastructure exists to support frontline workers—case managers, housing navigators, and outreach teams who work directly with veterans. Systems are designed with their workflows in mind, reducing administrative burden so they can focus on connecting veterans with housing.

Impact

The Bringing Veterans Home initiative represents New Jersey’s commitment to ending veteran homelessness. Governor Murphy’s administration has supported this work through dedicated funding, and Governor-elect Sherrill’s proposed budget includes an additional $11 million for the initiative—recognition of both the program’s effectiveness and the ongoing need.

The data infrastructure ensures that veterans are identified and tracked statewide, regional teams can coordinate handoffs, and program leadership has visibility into progress toward Functional Zero goals.

About the Program

Bringing Veterans Home is administered jointly by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs. For information about accessing services or making referrals, visit the Bringing Veterans Home website.