Through One Team, VA and Community Partners Are Working to End Veteran Homelessness
In the words of VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) Deputy Medical Center Director John Kuhn, “there’s no reason any Veteran should be homeless in Los Angeles.”
It’s with that declaration in mind that Kuhn, who has decades of experience fighting homelessness, led the creation of One Team, a groundbreaking endeavor designed to move homeless Veterans into housing as quickly as possible by seamlessly integrating VA and its community partners.
Through One Team, VAGLAHS, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs of LA County (MVA), Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) community grantees, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and other providers have been working together to make sure each and every Veteran in need of housing gets access to the services they’ve earned.
One Team got its start in June 2023, and according to the latest homeless count, the numbers reveal that Veteran homelessness is down 32% since 2023 in the city of Los Angeles, and down 23% across the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC).
“When we’ve been able to bring in our partners, we see that things move a lot faster,” said Sally Hammitt, Chief of VA’s Community Engagement and Reintegration Services (CERS), and one of the co-chairs of One Team. “We know in order to end this crisis in LA, VA can’t do it alone.”
Integration and Collaboration
The other two co-chairs for One Team are representative of the shared mission: Jim Zenner, MVA Director and Chris Gilrath II, SSVF Program Manager for The Salvation Army.
“The goal is to not see each other as different providers but more to see each other as partners of One Team,” said Zenner, who’s also an Army Veteran.
Since the One Team launch, the co-chairs have continued to meet weekly, and a larger group of 75 also comes together to develop best practices and foster a collaborative environment that leads to enhanced care coordination for Veterans.
“There has been more communication amongst leadership and the community has more knowledge of housing programs,” said Gilrath of the efforts since One Team launched.
There are five One Team committees that address access, data, collaboration and more (along with the newest, dedicated to racial equity), that also meet regularly and report back to leadership.
“The community is letting us know what resources they need and what barriers they’re facing,” said Hammitt.
How Does One Team Work?
For frontline workers, the One Team mentality is that they work for the Veteran – not the program. No matter which agency or service provider members of the One Team officially work for, the goal remains the same: connecting a Veteran to housing and supportive services.
Traditionally, service providers have often operated in silos, which caused duplication of services and allowed Veterans to slip through the cracks, said Kuhn.
For example, to begin their journey to permanent housing, a Veteran used to have to come to the West Los Angeles VA Welcome Center – often from far away and via public transit.
But through the One Team effort, VA and MVA’s Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN) joined forces to add five additional access points across greater Los Angeles for Veterans in need of housing.
“One Team has definitely streamlined the process for Veterans to get access into a variety of housing resources. There is no wrong door for the Veteran to approach,” said Gilrath. One Team has also expanded the number of staff who can process housing applications.
“Our goal is to make sure that there are multiple access points across the greater Los Angeles catchment area for homeless Veterans to enter our VA system and to be linked to services that will support their housing needs,” said Deborah Carter, CERS Deputy Chief – Access & Outreach.
Ongoing staff trainings have also been key, said Kuhn. These have helped frontline workers understand the different resources and learn more about each other’s programs. That way, every staff member knows what’s available for the Veterans they serve.
What the Numbers Have to Say
With a year of concerted effort and coordination on the books, what do the numbers reveal?
The 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count (also known as the homeless count) in which volunteers count all individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, revealed that Veteran homelessness is down significantly year-over-year.
In the city of Los Angeles, 2,696 Veterans were counted in 2023 and 1,834 Veterans were counted in 2024, a decrease of 32%.
The number of Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the city (residing in the street or other places not intended for human habitation) went from 2,016 in 2023 to 1,266 in 2024, a drop of 37.2%. The number of Veterans experiencing sheltered homelessness (staying in emergency shelter or other temporary locations) went from 680 in 2023 to 568 in 2024, a drop of 16.4%.
Across the entire CoC, which includes the whole county except Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, 3,878 Veterans were counted in 2023 and 2,991 were counted in 2024, a decrease of 23%.
The number of Veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the CoC went from 2,808 to 2,034, a drop of 27.6%, and the number of Veterans experiencing sheltered homelessness went from 1,070 to 957, a drop of 10.6%.
More Veterans Are Now in Housing
As this data suggests, the number of Veterans housed has gone up. In 2023, VAGLAHS housed 1,790 homeless Veterans —the most of any VA in America. This was a 38% increase over the 2022 total of 1,301, and 19% above VAGLAHS’ annual goal of 1,500.
In addition to exceeding its housing goal in 2023, VAGLAHS also maintained a housing retention rate of 97.5% (2.5% above the goal of 95%) and engaged with 2,184 unsheltered Veterans (296 above the goal of 1,888 unsheltered Veterans).
Housing placements have shown an upward trend, said Hammitt. “When we looked at the percentage change, January through September of 2023, we saw a raw increase in Veteran Affairs Subsidized Housing placements compared to the previous year,” she said.
The fiscal year goal (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30) for 2024 is to house 1,605 Veterans. As of June 30, 2024, 1,287 had been housed (80.1% of the FY goal), 94.3% had maintained housing (.7 percentage points below goal) and 1,759 unsheltered Veterans had been engaged (80.5% of the FY goal of 2,184).
What’s Next for One Team?
Since its launch over a year ago, the successes of One Team in greater Los Angeles have led VA to roll out the concept nationally and even create a comprehensive toolkit that includes guidance, templates, and tools so other communities can replicate these efforts. Presentations on One Team have been held in Dallas, Texas, and Washington, D.C., said Gilrath.
Zenner said One Team reminds him of the unity he experienced while in the military. “There, we were one team. All that diversity that military service brings, when a mission was on the line we came together and got it done.”
Moving forward, voucher utilization will be a key focus for One Team, said Kuhn, which means the team is looking at ways to get more available housing vouchers used by Veterans in need.
Part of the push to do this is through Master Leasing, a new concept being rolled out by VAGLAHS and MVA. Master Leasing is when a service provider rents a bulk of units or an entire building, then subleases directly to Veterans, drastically reducing barriers to housing access.
“Ultimately, solving homelessness requires the creation of housing that is both affordable and desirable,” said Kuhn. “Master Leasing opens an important new pathway to achieve that goal.”
The first Master Leased building opened in West Hollywood on June 3, 2024, with 13 apartments for Veterans. More Master Leased buildings are in the works.
Changing Lives Through Collaboration
Hammitt is encouraged by the effort she’s seen from staff and leadership over the last year. “There’s this optimism that I’m seeing from this group and it’s really exciting and energizing,” she said.
“I know we can end Veteran homelessness in L.A.,” said Hammitt. “I don’t think we can, I know we can. I want people to know there are resources.”
The sentiment was echoed by her colleagues.
Changing the system takes time, added Kuhn, but bringing people together to work towards shared goals helps them see how it is possible.
The excitement reached across organizations as well.
Through this communal vision, One Team leadership agrees that they’re on the right path to long-term systemic change. “This is really what right looks like,” said Zenner.