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'It Took Me 10 Years To Get Here:' LA's Veterans Fight To Secure Housing
The VA's West L.A. offices
(
Libby Denkmann
/
LAist
)
Listen
17:40
Listen: 'It Took Me 10 Years To Get Here.' LA's Veterans Fight To Secure Housing
Topline:
Today, the How To LA team dives deeper into the hurdles veterans face to secure housing in L.A. Specifically, income limit restrictions, and how this leaves the most disabled veterans — those who need housing and services most — ineligible for most VA housing.
About this story: This is part two in a special two-part series about the veteran homelessness crisis in L.A. We speak to Edward Sotello, a 70% disabled veteran who was unhoused for more than a decade until he recently secured housing in one of the West L.A. VA's new units.
We also revisit Josh Petit, a formerly unhoused veteran we met in part 1 of this series. (If you haven't listened, go back to yesterday's episode!)
Who you'll hear from:
- Edward Sotello, formerly unhoused veteran who recently moved into an apartment on the West LA VA campus
- Josh Petit, formerly unhoused veteran currently living in a tiny home on the West LA VA campus
- Rob Reynolds, unhoused veteran advocate and formerly unhoused veteran
- Nick Gerda, unhoused communities reporter for LAist
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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