With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Housing Authority looking to add more vouchers for homeless veterans
FILE: Gary Reed, a homeless veteran, conducts a survey for the 2014 Homeless Count with Valerie Godin, who has been homeless for the past one and a half years.
(
Mae Ryan/KPCC
)
An L.A. County Housing Authority official on Tuesday told supervisors that his department is hoping to add hundreds of housing vouchers to address the county's veteran homeless population.
The news comes a day after KPCC reported the county was falling short in its effort to house all its homeless veterans by December 2015.
At a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, CD3 Supervisor Sheila Kuehl — who represents much of West and North Los Angeles — asked L.A. County Housing Authority head Sean Rogan how the department is planning to address the issue.
"What steps is HACOLA taking to help L.A. reach the goal of ending veteran homelessness by the end of this year?" Kuehl asked. "Looks like L.A. city might be on track, but the county doesn't look like it's so on track."
Sponsored message
Rogan replied that the Housing Authority is hoping the county will be granted funding for more vouchers that providing help specifically to homeless veterans.
Vouchers allow low-income individuals to pay only a set portion of their income toward rent, based on how much money they make or receive each month. The rest is picked up by the government.
"We feel very confident that we will receive an additional 255 vouchers," Rogan said, "which will bring our total to well over 1,550 vouchers specific to homeless vets."
Rogan added that his staff is working to get funding from Proposition 41, a voter-approved initiative that directed state bond funds to help build housing for low-income and homeless veterans. He also pointed out that a recently-constructed "village" for homeless veterans will soon begin accepting up to 40 tenants in El Monte.
Last week, United Way's Home for Good campaign released data that show the county will need to find homes for over 6,000 vets — or an average of at least 604 people each month — to reach its December goal. In February, it was able to house just 262.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
