PSA: Units For Veterans are Sitting Empty

In case anyone missed it, I’d like to signal boost Doug Smith’s recent piece in the Los Angeles Times.

In a nutshell, LA County has an estimated 3,400 homeless veterans, and has received close to 4,500 HUD-VASH vouchers, designed to get veterans housed.

We could have - and should have! - ended veteran homelessness in LA County by now. Unfortunately, bureaucracy is standing in the way, and veteran units can easily sit empty for a year or longer.

If you are a veteran or know any veterans, you are probably familiar with how poorly many vets are treated by the VA when they need medical care. Unfortunately, getting housed is also a hassle for veterans who need those units. The process to getting one of the units reserved for veterans is more complicated than it should be, and voucher utilization is about 20 percent below the national average in LA County.

Please, please, please read and share Smith’s article.

Veterans deserve better.