A significant percentage of Los Angeles’ homeless veteran population lives on Skid Row, pictured here. (Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Andrew Lee)
Secretary Dennis McDonough announced this week that the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to provide housing for over 500 homeless Los Angeles-area veterans by the end of 2021.
McDonough also announced that the VA would be helping all the approximately 40 homeless California veterans living outside the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System facility in West Los Angeles, commonly known as “Veterans Row,” by Nov. 1.
After visiting the encampment earlier this month, McDonough noted, “our efforts are continuing all across the country, but there are more homeless veterans in Los Angeles than anywhere in America.” Pre-pandemic studies published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Jan. 2021 reported 3,681 homeless veterans living in Los Angeles, or about 10% of the entire homeless veteran population in the country. It’s currently unclear how the pandemic and resulting economic crisis have impacted veterans homelessness in the state.
COMBATING CALIFORNIA VETERANS HOMELESSNESS
The VA’s new efforts to combat veteran homeless in California comes after the department previously began allocating nearly $80 million in grants to California organizations under the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, as well as an additional $12 million in grants to California organizations in late August for its Grant and Per Diem program.
Veterans struggling with housing can contact The American Legion for free help with VA benefits and other programs.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
