Homeless Veterans Archives - National Veterans Foundation

Richard McFarthing, a homeless vet living on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard. Copyright Jessica Jewell Lanier. The rain in Los Angeles today will continue into tomorrow. For here, it’s cold. In most other parts of the country it’s even colder and wetter. Most of us will spend tomorrow in warm, brightly lit places with family…

At the latest count, homelessness in Los Angeles was up over 16%. According to Steve Lopez, writing in the Los Angeles Times on June 16, the state count was twice as high. Disappointing news, especially since we’ve thrown $800 million at it and LA housed over 20,000 homeless last year. There’s plenty of frustration, explanation and…

Nothing to be proud of—Los Angeles County has the highest percentage of homeless vets in the nation. Still. So, can somebody please explain why a successful program to take in homeless men and women veterans is being shut down? That’s right. Shut down. Vets forced out of housing and treatment. After six successful years taking…

What is VASH? The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) is run through the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). You might be familiar with HUD’s Section 8 vouchers for low-income families. VASH is similar, but serves only qualifying veterans. Like the HUD program, there are income thresholds and other criteria to be eligible. …

The National Veterans Foundation’s Homeless Veteran Outreach Program provides outreach missions to areas of Los Angeles with high concentration of homeless people. The missions provide food and water to people in need. The team identifies homeless veterans and works to get them into programs that will get them off the streets. The NVF Outreach Van…

This phrase was in common use as far back as 2007. Phil Klay, a Marine vet writing in The New York Times on April 14 this year, suggests that it might have been in use as early as 2002. It’s true that we’re still in America’s longest-running war. And whether or not America is still…

With the replacement of David Shulkin as VA Secretary, the second largest department of our federal government (after the Department of Defense) is once again looking for new leadership. Frankly, that’s more than a little disheartening. I can’t help thinking how damaging that must be to staff morale, and how that might impact the veterans…

National Veterans Foundation Founder Shad Meshad was interviewed by Gary Ray at the American Heroes Network on June 13. Shad talks about the Vet Center Program he authored, the challenges veterans face reintegrating back to civilian life, veteran suicide, military sexual trauma, and the services the National Veterans Foundation provides to help veterans with any…

THE NVF NEWS The Lifeline For America’s Veterans SERVING OUR VETERANS CELEBRATING 29 YEARS Memorial Day 2017 NVF Gives Away 24,000 New Lands’ End Clothes to Vets On February 3, Veterans began lining up at 8:00 AM at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) in West Los Angeles. VA staff and volunteers set…

Women’s Outreach Director Mary Ann Mayer, MSW has been fielding calls from women veterans for several months now. She notes the high incidence of poverty as an issue and a barrier for women vets. To begin with, female veterans have a lower median household income than male veterans, according to a March 2016 report from…