Julian Castro, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also spoke at the event, relating that during an hour-long meeting with McAuliffe earlier Wednesday morning, the governor told him about 101 times that Virginia is the greatest state in the country.

“Today, y’all have a strong claim to that,” he said. “Virginia truly is showing that we can meet this challenge.”

Cities around the country have met the goal of housing veterans faster than new ones become homeless, including New Orleans; Mobile, Ala.; and Winston-Salem, N.C. Since 2010,when President Barack Obama announced a plan aimed at ending homelessness, veteran homelessness has been reduced by 36 percent, Castro said.

In Virginia, the push started in earnest last year when McAuliffe and elected leaders across the state signed on to the federal “Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness.” One of their goals remains to find housing for any veteran within 90 days of discovering that the vet is homeless. And it’s a joint effort, linking local, state and federal agencies to make sure veterans receive the help they need to keep them from becoming homeless again.

McAuliffe described the various services as “enveloping” veterans with everything they need to keep them in their new homes.