New funding is helping military families and veterans find shelter in old motels around Los Angeles.
A recent “homelessness state of emergency” has been declared in Los Angeles due to the increasing number of homeless people in the city. Newsy reports that veterans make up 3% of the L.A. population but make up 11% of the city’s homeless population.
According to the Huffington Post, veterans will soon be able to stay in old motels and area hospitals that will act as apartments. A $100 budget has been given for funding for this homeless crisis where the city will refurbish old and rundown hospitals and motels and turn them into more than 500 apartments for homeless veterans.
“Instead of allowing blighted properties to decay,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said, “let’s use them to make powerful change in our communities by giving our veterans the access to services and housing they need and deserve.”
As part of the plan, homeless veterans will be able to use their vouchers from the Department of Veteran Affairs to pay off their rent for the new apartments.
One of the greatest benefits of this new plan, aside from housing the homeless, is that struggling veterans will also be given managing and counseling supportive services.
Many military members and their families struggle once out of service. In the U.S., approximately 27% of all military families have more than $100,000 in credit card debt, so helping military families by giving charitable donations or giving children in need clothing is vital to their cause. Veterans often can’t get out of these financial issues and, like a large percentage in L.A., end up homeless and rely on charities for military families.
L.A. will use money from Proposition 41, which set aside up to $600 million in bond money to be used for poor and homeless veterans and helping military families. The announcement came after the city had missed its deadline to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. Mayor Garcetti announced in August that because of a “significant change” regarding the extent of the homeless problem in the city, he would have to push back the deadline to end vet homelessness.