Amid Record Low Numbers for Veteran Homelessness in LA, Joint Initiative to Put Even More Veterans in Homes

But that’s just the beginning as VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) has joined forces with Mayor Karen Bass and dedicated community partners on a new initiative to get more Veterans off the streets and into homes of their own. 

From Jan. 1, 2025, through April 1, 2025, VAGLAHS, Mayor Bass, Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and other public-private partners will be working together to get as many Veterans as possible into permanent housing.   

“We are ecstatic at VA to support this initiative,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “As we say every day at VA, when we end homelessness for Veterans in Los Angeles, we will have shown America how to do it. We are all in, and we will not rest until every Veteran has precisely what he or she deserves, which is a dignified housing arrangement. We are thrilled to be part of this, and we are committed to seeing this through.”

All hands are on deck for this effort as frontline staff are reaching out to Veterans experiencing homelessness, helping them with housing applications, matching them to available units, providing property tours and transportation, expediting the approval process, and facilitating lease signings.

“No one who has served our country, who has put their lives on the line, should be left to live on our streets,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “We are working hand in hand with our partners on every level – the county, the city, the state, and the federal government …This is what is possible when you bring all levels of government and the community and business organizations together. Today we are launching a new initiative to bring all of the Veterans inside so we can get this job done.”

The mayor’s office is also leading a comprehensive outreach campaign to encourage landlords to bring additional units online for Veterans. Property owners can email HouseOurVets@LACity.org to sign up and offer units. 

VA has also launched a national Mayors’ Pledge to House Homeless Veterans. It encourages mayors to engage landlords with existing units to pledge units to house Veterans, and with the support of Mayor Bass, Los Angeles is leading the way. 

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) January 2024 Point-In-Time Count Report, homelessness among Veterans dropped 23% year over year in Los Angeles County. In fiscal year 2024, VAGLAHS housed 1,854 Veterans -- more than any other city in America for third year in a row. 

The recent improvements in LA have been fueled by a significant increase in VA housing placements for Los Angeles Veterans, in part a result of the One Team initiative. 

In 2023, VAGLAHS launched One Team to better serve Veterans experiencing homelessness, uniting VA and its community partners in a Veteran-centric model that pulls from all available resources to meet each Veteran’s housing and service needs. 

One Team has fundamentally changed the way services are provided by offering a united front to Veterans experiencing homelessness, ensuring there is “no wrong door” for them to access the help they need. 

The One Team model has been rolled out nationally to help other communities achieve the successes seen thus far in Los Angeles. 

Still, there is more work to be done and VA is continuing to take aggressive action to combat Veteran homelessness in Los Angeles, including: 

• VA is investing in housing on the West LA Campus: There are now 307 Veteran housing units open on campus with 461 under construction and at least 730 total units anticipated to be open by the end of 2025.
• VA launched a new call center serving unsheltered Veterans in LA: VA’s first-ever emergency housing call center launched in December 2022 at VAGLAHS, and it has brought more than 500 unsheltered Veterans off the street since its inception. Veterans experiencing homelessness can call 310-268-3350 and get an Uber/Lyft ride to VA-supported emergency housing on the same day they call. 
• VA is providing mobile outreach to homeless Veterans: In early 2024, VAGLAHS also began operation of a MMU for homelessness and mental health outreach. It travels around Los Angeles offering primary and preventative care, referrals to specialty care and access to housing assistance for Veterans in their own communities. Hosting multiple events per month, the MMU has seen hundreds of Veterans since April 2024.
• VA has expanded the affordable housing supply through bulk leasing: By combining LA County and VA resources, we have launched bulk leasing, a tool to bring more units online for Veterans while reducing barriers to access. There are now three bulk leasing buildings offering 68 units with a fourth scheduled to open in January with 15 units.

Preventing and eliminating Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration. Since FY 2022, VA has permanently housed nearly 134,000 formerly homeless Veterans, and the total number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010. 

If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) or visit VA.gov/homeless.