Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a partnership between the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles and U.S.VETS to prevent veteran homelessness. The initiative, highlighted by the Mayor and nonprofit organization U.S.VETS, will bolster resources available to veterans at risk of losing their homes. Mayor Bass also outlined an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., where she plans to advocate for additional federal policy support for homeless veterans, according to a statement on the city’s official website.
The Mayor will be joined by a large delegation comprising over 40 mayors from across the nation, united in their cause to aid those who have served the country. Heading to the capital later this month, the bipartisan group will meet with the Biden Administration, senators, and representatives. They are set to urge for more housing vouchers, increased flexibility for project-based vouchers, and adjusted eligibility to encompass veterans on disability income benefits, per the city’s announcement.
"The Mayor's Fund's We Are LA homelessness prevention efforts are stretching resources further, reaching more people, and helping prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place," Mayor Bass expressed, acknowledging the traditionally siloed efforts of government and nonprofit sectors. Looking to change the paradigm, she cited this partnership as a route towards more efficient work in preventing homelessness among veterans.
Stephen Peck, President and CEO of U.S.VETS, spoke to the gravity of the issue. "Many veterans who face homelessness are struggling with physical or mental health issues that can be traced directly back to their service to our country. Others are aging. No matter the reason they're struggling, we owe a safe, clean place to live to every single person who risked their lives for this country," he said in the official press release. U.S.VETS offers a spate of services, including emergency and transitional housing, with the ultimate goal of achieving permanent housing for veterans.
Conway Collis, President and CEO of the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles, addressed the urgency of the situation given the high number of eviction notices in recent months. "More than 6,000 eviction notices were filed in February alone," he noted. Collis underlined the partnership's centrality to the fight against homelessness, especially for those who served the nation, indicating the shared responsibility to prevent homelessness before it starts.
Additional supports such as career counseling, legal advocacy, mental health services, and housing assistance are part of U.S.VETS' offerings. These resources are extended to all veterans, including at-risk female veterans and those on community college campuses. The Mayor’s Fund created the We Are LA program to serve Angelenos in danger of homelessness, ensuring they have access to both public and private resources. The We Are LA hotline, available at 213-584-1808, provides direct assistance to those fearing eviction.
