GLAR Participates in ‘House Our Vets’ Program Launch

On Thursday, January 2nd, representatives from the Greater Los Angeles REALTORS® joined Mayor Karen Bass, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis, HACLA CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez, and our colleagues from AAGLA (the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) to launch the new “House Our Vets” initiative with the goal of reducing the number of homeless veterans by getting them into housing.
This new program engages property owners and housing providers with the goal of increasing the number of landlords accepting vouchers to house homeless veterans, and makes the process to accept vouchers more efficient for housing providers by bureaucratic hurdles to getting veterans and landlords accepted into the program. GLAR has been a partner in the creation of the program from the very beginning, offering feedback and insight into how to make the program operate more efficiently for housing providers who want to do their patriotic duty to help our veterans.
GLAR President Anne Russell noted during the event:
“Thank you to Mayor Bass and her team for making this a priority and bringing much needed reforms and help to our city’s unhoused veterans. These commonsense changes and new initiatives are critically needed improvements that will allow housing providers, non-profit organizations and city programs to get those who have selflessly given so much to our nation off the streets and out of the city’s shelters and into safe and reliable housing faster than ever before. The Greater Los Angeles REALTORS are proud to be a partner in this innovative solution to reducing homelessness in our communities.”
During her remarks, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, “I want to share my gratitude to housing providers, property owners and REALTORS® who always step up to the plate to help secure housing for Veterans.”
As part of the project, a new strategic partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and the local City and County housing authorities was formed to cut the time it takes for Veterans to qualify for and receive housing vouchers. This includes additional staff focused on Veterans and increased help and streamlining processes for property owners, rental housing providers and landlords seeking to house Veterans.
Throughout the launch of the new initiative, GLAR will focus on communicating information about veterans housing programs to housing providers through our members, and will continue to collaborate with the city, the VA, and other local organizations to increase the number of properties accepting vouchers and getting more homeless veterans off the street.
Be on the lookout for announcements about webinars, program information, and more in your GLAR emails and other communication methods.