Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — An initiative that originated from Mayor Karen Bass’ office will offer more resources for unhoused veterans to move them off the streets and into housing.
Through a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and the city and county housing authorities, veterans will be able to qualify for and receive housing vouchers at an expedited rate.
More staff will be added to help veterans in need, as well as to streamline processes for property owners seeking to house veterans.
“This initiative will help connect veterans with property owners who will benefit from guaranteed rent payments and tenants who have proven themselves to be honorable and reliable,” Bass said in a statement. “If you have apartments available, join us in this patriotic effort to save lives.”
Additionally, elected officials are calling on the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, the Greater Los Angeles Realtors, individual property owners and more organizations to increase the number of units available for veterans with vouchers.
U.S. VETS, a national organization dedicated to housing homeless veterans, is available to help connect veterans to housing.
At a news conference Jan. 2, the mayor, alongside U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, county Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and Supervisor Hilda Solis, highlighted the partnership.
“For too long, too many in government have accepted people living on the street,” Bass said. “I do not accept the humanitarian crisis on our streets, especially when it comes to Angelenos who have served and sacrificed their bodies for our country.”
U.S. Navy veteran Harold Hicks said he was sleeping in his car after he lost his job. After being connected to services, he found a landlord that accepted his federal housing voucher and got the keys to an apartment.
“I want to encourage any veterans who are living on the streets to reach out and get help today, and I want to ask property owners in L.A. to consider being part of this new initiative launched by Mayor Bass and help more veterans like me get housed,” Hicks said.
McDonough said he had “every confidence” in the city and county’s effort. He added, “We are all in and we will not rest until every veteran has precisely what she or he deserves, which is a dignified housing arrangement.”
Last year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors lobbied the federal government to change its policy related to veterans’ benefits. Previously, veterans had to choose between receiving disability benefits and housing assistance.
The updated policy now prevents veterans who receive disability benefits from being negatively impacted when seeking permanent housing.
“By dedicating additional personnel exclusively to supporting this target population and removing barriers for landlords to accept housing vouchers, we are creating tangible pathways to ensure veterans have access to the safe and stable homes they deserve,” Barger said.
“I encourage everyone in our community — landlords, businesses and residents alike — to consider how they can support this lifesaving work,” she said.
Solis added she was confident that by working together more veterans will find permanent homes and receive a better quality of life they deserve.
“Today’s announcement shines light on the strong efforts the county has been taking to address homelessness in our veteran community and demonstrates a renewed commitment to work with Mayor Bass and Secretary McDonough on this important initiative,” Solis added.
Darryl J. Vincent, CEO of U.S. Vets and a Marine Corps veteran, said the new partnerships will allow veterans “to achieve stable housing, and a sense of dignity and purpose.”
“Our results are exponentially better when we prioritize partnerships like the mayor’s new initiative to house more homeless veterans,” he added. “Community partners like U.S.VETS will have increased resources to reach unhoused veterans and families across L.A. … Together, we will continue to decrease veteran homelessness in Los Angeles until no one who served our country is left sleeping on our streets.”
Lourdes Castro Ramirez, CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, said housing experts know what it take to end homelessness.
“It requires all of us working together, aligning targeted efforts to make rapid connections to housing that bring unhoused Angelenos indoors,” she said. “By offering dedicated housing locator services to veterans, expediting unit inspections and providing incentives to prospective property owners, [we our] moving with urgency, making housing connections more quickly and creating a supportive environment for veterans to thrive.”
Anne Russell, president of the Greater Los Angeles Realtors, called the new policies “common sense changes” that will allow unhoused veterans “off the streets and out of the city’s shelters and into safe and reliable housing faster than ever before.”
Matt Williams, chair of the board for the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, said his organization was happy to make part in the new initiative.
“This is a new public private partnership that stands to benefit everyone especially by giving us all an opportunity to give back to the veterans who sacrificed for us,” he said.
Unhoused veterans can call 310-268-3350 to connect with Veterans Affairs for support and housing assistance. Property owners interested in accepting housing vouchers or who want more information about renting units for veterans can email HouseOurVets@lacity.org.
