April 9, 2018
600 Chronically Homeless Veterans
Can Look Forward to Supportive Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has approved the Community Development Commission/Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (CDC/HACoLA) to receive 600 of the 5,211 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers available nationwide for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017. This HUD-VASH award represents the largest voucher allocation awarded to a Public Housing Agency (PHA) in the country during FFY 2017, and is also the largest HUD-VASH voucher allocation ever received by CDC/HACoLA.
Since 2008, HUD and the VA have awarded HUD-VASH vouchers based on geographic need and a PHA’s administrative performance. Given Los Angeles’ ongoing need, and the agency’s efforts to secure the maximum resources to assist the County’s special needs population, in September 2017, CDC/HACoLA applied for 600 vouchers. Recognizing the County’s exemplary use of its previous allocations, HUD accommodated the agency, fulfilling the complete request and bringing the agency’s total voucher allocation to 2,394.
According to the 2017 homeless count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 1,921 chronically homeless veterans are unsheltered. Ranging in age from 18-24 to 62 and over, each veteran encounters challenges to maintaining housing – disabilities, substance abuse, mental illness, and a limited supply of affordable supportive housing. Los Angeles County is on a mission to overcome these challenges by obtaining the additional vouchers to secure stable housing for its veterans and pairing it with supportive services such as health management, personal and financial counseling, and employment services.
Monique King-Viehland, CDC/HACoLA Executive Director stated, “Our agency has been administering 1,794 HUD-VASH vouchers since 2009, and we have been very successful in utilizing all vouchers despite the County’s tight rental market. I am proud that HUD officials, locally and nationwide, and the VA, recognize the effort and compassion we put in to assisting our homeless veterans, and grateful they are helping us address the continuing need by providing the additional 600 vouchers.”
The Veterans Affairs Medical Center of Greater Los Angeles (VAMC) screens applicants for program eligibility and service needs and refers them to the CDC/HACoLA for rental assistance through HUD-VASH. Nationwide, the VA is focused on increasing the number of chronically homeless veterans served through HUD-VASH. The program targets chronically homeless veterans with mental or physical health problems, substance use disorders, and limited access to other social supports. Other veterans who are homeless with diminished functional capacity and need for case management are also eligible for the program.
Homeless veterans are encouraged to contact the VAMC to determine eligibility by calling (310) 478-3711, or visiting in person on a first-come first-served basis, at 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Building 257, Los Angeles, CA 90073. Walk-in hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For information on the CDC/HACoLA’s VASH program, please email VASHProgram@hacola.org.