In an effort to address veteran homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has announced the "House Our Vets" initiative, a project aiming to secure permanent housing for more veterans before the year's end. During a luncheon at the Getty House, Mayor Bass, alongside the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) President & CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez, recognized veterans who have already found housing through the program, and welcomed new property owners who have joined the cause. Notably, developers have utilized Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 1 to expedite affordable housing projects for veterans. Since its inception in January 2025, the initiative has reported the housing of almost 400 veterans, boasting a 99% retention rate, as announced by the mayor.
The drive to house veterans gained momentum following Mayor Bass’ successful lobbying in Washington, D.C., last year as the chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness, which led to a pivotal change in federal policy that previously disqualified many veterans for housing vouchers due to their disability and benefits being counted as income. HACLA is spearheading the initiative's latest push, reforming voucher issuance and placement processes to save time and reduce the hassle for both veterans and property owners. The authority has a simplified application process, started leveraging HUD-approved waivers, and is now conducting simultaneous processing of unit inspections and owner document collections, thus cutting the approval time significantly, according to Mayor Bass' office.
For veterans seeking assistance, HACLA provides a dedicated phone line and email for quick information and sign-up. Property owners with eligible units can also join the "House Our Vets" initiative by visiting the HACLA website. This collaboration, as HACLA President & CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez highlights, not only successfully housed nearly 400 veterans but also showcased the potential of nimble partnerships across sectors to solve veteran homelessness, a point she underscored at the luncheon.
The efforts of Mayor Bass and her administration have also led to notable declines in homelessness in the city. With initiatives like Inside Safe and securing HUD waivers, Los Angeles has seen a historic reduction in street homelessness, with a 17% decrease since Mayor Bass took office, and a 23% decrease in veteran homelessness at the end of 2024, the Mayor's office reports. Continuing this trajectory, more landlords are encouraged to accept HUD-VASH vouchers, and a new public campaign will soon be launched to further assist veterans in accessing housing support.
