Local Gov’t Responds to Veteran Homelessness

By Zach Friend, County Supervisor 2nd District

Every Wednesday at the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Hall, many veterans gather for a weekly shared meal, strengthening the bonds of service that bind them together.

But many also share another bond — about half are homeless. That so many of our honored vets are living on the street is not unique to Santa Cruz County; it’s a shameful shadow that stretches across the nation. It doesn’t have to be this way.

For all discussion about homelessness in Santa Cruz County, actual progress is being made when it comes to housing veterans. Late last year I wrote about an initiative to end veteran homelessness in our County by the end of 2016.

It sounds ambitious, and it is, but a number of local veterans advocates have noted that ending veteran homelessness in Santa Cruz County is within our reach. In fact, in 2014 there were nearly 400 homeless veterans on our streets. By late 2015 that number was cut in half. Real progress continues to be made but we aren’t there yet.

How have the reductions been made possible?

Through initiatives like the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, the leadership of the White House and amazing local veterans organizations the needle has begun to move.

Homeless persons may need a variety of things — job opportunities, food and clean clothes, mental health counseling — but one thing they all need is a roof. Once that most basic of needs is met, veterans can flourish.

One of the main tools in achieving this has been federal housing subsidies available through the Santa Cruz County Housing Authority. Known as Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers, they provide rent subsidies along with case workers who make regular visits to veterans in their homes, making sure they have access to food, employment services, medical care and more.

Veterans are targeted that generally earn at or below 30-50% of the average median income in our county. Meaning, most of the veterans that are successfully using the program earn between $19,700-32,800/year — and many are homeless or without secure housing.

Local landlords have been willing to take the HUD-VASH vouchers to house our local veterans. But there are many interested veterans, and available vouchers, without available units. In fact, the County currently has about 300 HUD-VASH vouchers available but it’s been difficult to find additional landlords willing to help fill the units. There’s no doubt the local housing crisis has both increased the number of homeless veterans but also decreased the number of available units and willing landlords.

Put simply, if more housing was offered by landlords or even shared housing options, we could eliminate veteran homelessness locally.

If you own property, veterans need your help. The vouchers are a dependable source of income, and the process of enrolling in the voucher program is simple. You fill out a form, and a local housing official will make a quick site visit to make sure that basic health and safety needs are being met, such as smoke detectors or that the front door has a lock.

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Contact the Santa Cruz Veteran Resource Center at (831) 477-7515 to help. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please call me at 454-2200.