[From Marcie’s Desk] Eye on the VA

Four years after the announcement of the new VA Master Plan, we are finally starting to see movement at the VA to address temporary and permanent housing for our veterans. This is great news for those of us who are passionate about veterans, homelessness and want to do our part to ensure that homeless veterans can find a safe home in Los Angeles.

Although the implementation of the VA’s Master Plan, which will ultimately provide permanent supportive housing for over 1,200 veterans, is still several years from completion, the VA has initiated programs in existing buildings and other locations on campus in the interim. Here is a look at what is already in place or coming soon:

• A Safe Parking LA program for veterans living in their vehicles is in place in Parking Lot 1 at the intersection of Sawtelle and Ohio.

• Building 209, a joint project with Step Up on Second, provides permanent supportive housing for 54 veterans.

• The Domiciliary and New Directions each house approximately 150 veterans on the VA Campus right now.

• There are two nursing homes and the CAL-VET retirement home currently housing veterans and their families on the VA Campus.

• There is a VA Hospital south of Wilshire serving patients and outpatients (my brother is one of them).

• With financial support from the City of Los Angeles though HHH bond funds, Buildings 205 and 208 are being converted into permanent supportive housing for veterans.

• Temporary bridge housing opened at the West Los Angeles VA campus in March for 100 homeless veterans. This transitional housing will include laundry facilities, personal hygiene centers, 24-hour security and supportive services.

• All services are grounded in a Housing First philosophy, designed to help enrolled veterans maintain stable housing — and prevent a return to homelessness. The veterans in this program will be initially referred by the VA. And new housing for veterans is not only happening on the VA Campus.

With eight veteran projects in its permanent supportive housing development pipeline, Step Up on Second’s Veterans Initiative will add 450 housing units for veterans experiencing homelessness within the next two years. These developments are located in Los Angeles County and Orange County. This year, three of the eight projects are slated to open their doors to house 205 veterans, many of whom will move in directly from the streets. Brentwood-based Village for Vets has been asked to lead the effort to supply the 205 units opening this year with move in ‘kits’ and is organizing local volunteers to help provide them. These supplies — which will outfit their bedroom, bath and kitchen — will consist of dishes, glasses, sheets, towels, and cleaning supplies. Village for Vets also gives emergency financial support to those veterans who have housing but are struggling to make ends meet.

With all of this in the works, there is an even greater need for community organizations to provide additional services for this new population of residents and soon-to-be residents. As a member of the VA Services Council, Village for Vets is dedicated to providing this support by engaging the local community. It works with local restaurants and caterers to provide nightly meals for the residents of the VA Safe Parking LA parking lot as well as providing daily meals, in partnership with Meals on Wheels, to the homeless veterans who are seeking housing and other services on the campus. It truly will take a village to end veteran homelessness.