New changes to a federal regulation are expected to make it easier for veterans to find housing.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough and Los Angeles leaders said Thursday veteran homelessness could soon be a thing of the past thanks to the changes.
“When we end homelessness for veterans in Los Angeles, we will have shown America how to do it,” McDonough said.
The federal regulation actually contributed to veterans becoming homeless , Mayor Karen Bass explained.
“The old regulations forced veterans to make a false choice between their disability benefits and a housing voucher,” she said. “How could we put the men and women who have served our country in such a position?”
“I slept and my car and continued to do the things I did, but a voice told me, ‘Mr. Hicks, you’re failing the mission by not asking for help.’ So, I did ask for help,” said Harold Hicks, a Navy veteran who is no longer homeless.
Full amenity apartment buildings, like the ones in downtown L.A., are an example of privately-owned units that accept vouchers from homeless vets. In the past, landlords would be hesitant to accept these vouchers because of the costly bureaucracy that Bass and the VA have worked to eliminate.