According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 11,400 veterans are experiencing homelessness in the state of California alone, and nearly 40,000 nationwide.
Navy veteran Scott Baty is one of those veterans, and has been living in a tent on “Veteran’s Row,” a homeless encampment in the west side of Los Angeles.
But Baty and 40 other veterans who have lived on Veteran’s Row are now moving onto a property that is owned by the Veterans Administration.
While they will still be living in tents, the will be in a much safer area with security, and will have access to food, showers, and VA services.
For Baty, this new location is just temporary. Thankfully, his social worker has helped him get an apartment down the street, but he is just waiting for it to go through before he can officially move in.
While the VA property isn’t an ideal living situation, it will keep these veterans safe while the VA helps them find homes.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development explains that finding affordable homes can be extremely difficult for veterans, especially if they have PTSD, have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, or live with mental health issues.
Once they find homes, it can be even more difficult for them to remain stably housed. They may also nee additional support such as mental health services to remain stable and live a healthy life.
Darryl Joseph from Veterans Affairs Community Engagement and Reintegration told Inside Edition that getting homeless vets off the streets has taken time.
“We have been working diligently to get each one of them housed,” he said. “Each one has a different set of needs.”