WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs’ focus on housing veterans living on the streets of Los Angeles will spark momentum to tackle veteran homelessness across the country, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Tuesday.
McDonough, who spoke at the National Press Club, said the VA succeeded in its goal of getting all homeless veterans living in the area known as “veterans row” in Los Angeles into housing by Nov. 1.
About 40 people were living along veterans row, a homeless encampment just outside the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, when McDonough visited the facility in October. He vowed Oct. 20 that all the veterans would be in either transitional or sustainable housing by Nov. 1.
“We succeeded in that first step,” McDonough said Tuesday.
Veterans living in the encampment were placed in VA programs, as well as transitional housing at hotels and emergency shelters, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System said in a statement issued Oct. 28.
The secretary also promised the VA would house an additional 500 homeless veterans in LA in time for the holidays.
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