LOS ANGELES COUNTY – The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion today jointly authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Sheila Kuehl to help fund a temporary bridge housing facility for veterans experiencing homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is currently working on a master plan to develop the West Los Angeles (WLA) Campus, which will ultimately include permanent housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. While the VA undergoes this master planning process, the County will support the construction of a temporary, 3-year bridge housing facility on the WLA VA campus with 100 beds for veterans experiencing homelessness throughout LA County.
“This bridge housing facility will provide 100 veterans with a stable environment, access to supportive services and a platform to exit the cycle of homelessness. Supporting this project is a testament to our dedication to ending homelessness among our County’s veterans,” Barger said.
The VA will fully fund the operations and case management costs for the bridge housing program using federal funding. LA County, in partnership with the VA and the City of Los Angeles, will step in to provide the critical funding needed to complete the capital and construction costs associated with the project.
“Partnerships like this one present cost-effective opportunities to combat homelessness beyond what any institution could do independently,” Barger said. “We are proud to participate in this great project to ensure the project’s success.”
The $2.5 million in capital funds needed for the project will be allocated from Measure H, the Countywide sales tax that generates revenues used to provide services for the homeless. The projects helps to maximize taxpayer’s dollars by securing 3 years of bridge housing for the County’s veterans at roughly half of what the County would otherwise spend on operating costs for the same number of beds elsewhere.