Spectrum News 1: LA, nonprofit leaders partner to help veterans facing homelessness

LOS ANGELES — In efforts to assist veterans at-risk of homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Tuesday announced a new partnership with two nonprofits that will provide resources such as eviction defense and rental assistance.

The Mayor’s Fund of LA, a nonprofit closely associated with City Hall and overseen by an independent board of directors, and U.S. VETS, a nonprofit with a mission to end veteran homelessness, will work together to provide resources to veterans in need and their families.

Some services will help veterans obtain access to federal funding, case management and career and employment counseling.

“With the same courageous rigor that you serve this county, we must now serve you and today plays a direct role in that,” Bass said during a Tuesday morning news conference at City Hall. “Too often our own system fails you.”

Bass said veterans often must choose between accepting benefits or accepting housing. Choosing to accept benefits can make them ineligible to receive housing assistance, she said.

“I will tell you that in going to (Washington) D.C. several times and meeting with Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Denis) McDonough — we’ve tried for months to see if the VA could waive this,” Bass said. “We determined that couldn’t happen, and so we are actually going to need legislation in order to change this.”

As the chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Homelessness Task Force, Bass will lead 40 mayors to the nation’s capital later this month to lobby Congress for this specific change.

“We’ve been able to build housing for veterans that sit vacant because veterans can’t qualify,” she said.

Mayor’s Fund President and CEO Conway Collis said the partnership with U.S. VETS will make a difference to veterans.

The Mayor’s Fund of LA has launched its We Are LA program, which aims to prevent evictions by connecting renters with resources. Staff members conduct outreach, provide case management, highlight local, state and federal resources renters can apply for, and also offer legal services to fight eviction.

The program may also help renters pay back some of their overdue rent.

We Are LA program workers who run into veterans can now refer them directly to U.S. VETS, which can provide rental support immediately, as well as connect them with resources specifically geared toward veterans.

Darryl Vincent, CEO of U.S. VETS, describes their nonprofit as the “largest veteran service providers combating veteran homelessness.” He said that in the last 30 years, they’ve been able to drastically decrease the amount of veterans experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

“We want to bring everyone to the table so that we can get the most diverse ideas to get the best ideas because, at the very least, our veterans deserve our very best,” Vincent said.

On Monday, two organizations also announced a combined $2.8 million donation to the Mayor’s Fund in an effort to expand their work and reach more Angelenos at-risk of homelessness. The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation gave $1.5 million and Health Net gave $1.3 million.

Officials said the Mayor’s Fund has served more than 32,000 individuals and families to help them stay housed.

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