NEWINGTON, Conn.—The federal government designated Connecticut on Thursday as the first state in the U.S. to end chronic homelessness among veterans.

In a statewide survey conducted this year by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness counted only 41 veterans on the streets, a drop of 45% since the previous count, in 2013. Nearly 300 homeless veterans have been placed in permanent housing under a roughly two-year push by the state.

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