<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1667611384937,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000016c-7763-d473-a96f-77eb53420000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1667611384937,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000016c-7763-d473-a96f-77eb53420000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_66647239", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1124388"} }); rn","_id":"00000184-4550-d791-abd4-5f5d019c0000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedThe federal government is undercounting the number of homeless veterans in Southern California by thousands in its latest report that mentions a groundbreaking decrease of 11%, officials say.
An announcement Thursday by the Department of Housing and Urban Development says a January 2022 count shows 33,136 homeless veterans nationwide. HUD has said one-third of the nation’s homeless live in California, which would mean approximately 10,272 homeless veterans are in the Golden State.
The federal government relies on data from local jurisdictions to compile its report, and numbers released by Los Angeles and San Diego counties don’t give an accurate depiction of what really is going on, homeless advocates and elected officials told the Washington Examiner.
“The count on everything has gone up. I don’t see any evidence of anything going down,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. “It’s not like they are opening homeless shelters all over the place that are getting filled up. We have 80,000 homeless here, and 20% are veterans. We are the capital of homelessness in the U.S.”
Los Angeles County released a January 2022 count showing 69,144 total homeless, with 3,942 of those veterans — 75% fewer than the sheriff’s count. San Diego’s tally was 686 veterans out of 8,427 total. Numbers for California have yet to be released by HUD.
Scott Silverman has worked with homeless veterans in San Diego County for 30 years, both as owner of a nonprofit housing authority and now founder of Confidential Recovery, an addiction treatment center. He places the number of local homeless veterans at more than 4,000.
“There is no way HUD can make that statement about homelessness and have it be accurate,” he said about the decrease in numbers. “We are spending a fortune, and it’s getting worse. Nobody has that data because no one is tracking them. Veterans aren’t going to stand there and raise their hand and say, ‘Hey, count me!’”
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The numbers have been questioned by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who stated that the figures are “guesstimates at best. I think … these figures are much bigger than what’s being reported.” She has started her own investigation to get an accurate count.
Part of the problem when it comes to counting veterans is that volunteers don’t speak to the homeless and ask if they are veterans. Instead, they make an educated guess by looking at signs like clothing or an American flag, said Rob Reynolds, an AMVETS volunteer who assists with placing veterans in housing.
Los Angeles HomelessReynolds worked with Villanueva last year to shut down a homeless camp on the sidewalk outside a Veterans Administration campus and move the men onto the property.
“I was one of the volunteers doing this count a few years ago, and they told us not to speak to the veterans. How do you get an accurate count?” he said. “When I saw those numbers, they blew me away. I run into homeless veterans everywhere.”
The sheriff has a homeless outreach team comprised of deputies and social workers who dismantle camps on sidewalks and public places and give the individuals temporary housing options and pathways to mental health treatment and job training.
HUD is saying its new veteran homeless count is down from 2020 and a 55% reduction since 2010. An accurate count was not available last year due to the pandemic, which is why the 11% decline is compared to 2020.
“One Veteran experiencing homelessness will always be one too many, but the 2022 PIT Count shows that we are making real progress in the fight to end Veteran homelessness,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “There is still a long way to go, but under President Biden’s leadership, we at VA, HUD and USICH will not stop until every Veteran has a good, safe, stable home in this country they fought to defend.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The VA has a goal to rehouse 38,000 veterans this year and has nearly succeeded by placing 31,000 into permanent housing so far. Part of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress provides more than $5 billion to assist those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, as well as more than $40 billion for housing provisions nationwide.
