Policy & Legislation
Veterans Committee Tackles Homelessness
February 21, 2008
On Wednesday, February 13, 2008, the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on services and benefits for California veterans. More than 20 witnesses testified on issues including mental health, housing and homelessness, job training, and economic opportunity.
Several major themes emerged from the hearing, specifically:
- The most successful programs and services are those that involve veterans helping fellow veterans.
- Community-based services often fill gaps and address needs that are unmet by the Veterans Administration.
- There's a recognized difficulty in developing permanent homes that are made available only to veterans.
Zack Olmstead testified on behalf of Housing California, asking committee members to pursue affordable-home solutions for veterans by addressing the larger problem -- the lack of homes affordable to all Californians. Zack testified that one way to do this is to peruse a permanent funding source for programs that build new affordable homes and homes with services (also known as "supportive homes"). Committee chair Mary Salas, reiterated the idea that the state needs more affordable rental homes and is interested in exploring ways to refocus funding from veteran homeownership programs to the development of permanent rental homes for veterans.
Contact: Zack Olmstead, (916) 447-0503 x 108 or .
