For Veteran Harold Hicks, asking for assistance after losing his job and home was not a walk in the park, but with the new initiative passed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, United States Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis McDonough, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), he now sleeps in a warm bed in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.
The U.S. Department of Treasury is exempting disability benefits from income caps, making it more accessible for veterans to qualify for federal housing funding. The initiative launched by Mayor Bass will assist in providing fast tracked housing for veterans by encouraging property owners to accept federal housing vouchers.
Veteran Hicks has always been an active member of his community, serving as Regional Commander for the Los Angeles Unified Cadet Corps and later joining the United States Navy. He felt a calling to serve his country, just like his father had before him, with the objective to protect his family. While in the Navy, Veteran Hicks found a sense of camaraderie with his fellow sailors.
However, when he returned home, he faced many trials, including the loss of his job as a softball coach for Barstow Community College which ultimately led to him not being able to afford his rent. For Veteran Hicks, not knowing about the resources available to veterans, made him feel as though he needed to figure things out alone.
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“Being able to get back into the workforce again on my own was, it was challenging,” he shared, “It was just me and my truck, wandering around, I didn’t tell anybody anything, just too prideful to ask for assistance. It had gotten to the point where I was like, I can’t…I can’t operate like this.” After living in his car for a year and a half, he finally decided that he needed to get help.
Having assistance from HACLA, which has added staff dedicated to assist veterans in need, he was able to get streamlined support in finding an apartment and even in furnishing his new home. Veteran Hicks expressed his gratitude for HACLA by saying, “Where I am now is beautiful! HACLA was able to accommodate my landlord and where I stay, and I’m very grateful of the program.”
Veteran Hicks shared that the process of finding stable housing was a challenging journey. According to him, landlords may have misconceptions about veterans, including their ability to pay and their mental stability, resulting in veterans having a harder time finding suitable housing.
He said, “Before I got into the program, it was rough, because a lot of people didn’t want to help people that didn’t have the income like that…We’re people too. We’re in this too, and we all deserve a chance.”
Now that he has found a stable home, Veteran Hicks is “ecstatic” and enjoys having his family visit. “I was able to cook for them and not be super stressed out, and not feel embarrassed or ashamed,” he added.
Carlos Van Natter, Director of Section 8 at HACLA, shared that one the obstacles they have previously faced while trying to find housing for veterans has been locating rental units that will accept Section 8 vouchers.
Van Natter said, “We have engaged a contracted agency that works with us, with HACLA, to provide housing search assistance. One of the key things they provide is actual transportation to the units so veterans can see the unit they might want to rent.”
He also shared that HACLA offers incentives for landlords including covering move in costs and offering signing bonuses. HACLA also assists in covering security deposits, utility assistance to ensure the unit is move in ready, and up to $2,000.00 available for unit repairs not covered by security deposits.
Veteran Hicks encourages veterans who may be experiencing a similar situation to not be afraid to ask for help. He said, “It’s okay to ask for help. There’s good people out there who understand where you come from. There’s so many programs out there that help veterans, not only for veterans, but for everybody that’s out there on the street.”
He also shared, “Just because we’re veterans and we’ve been homeless, don’t mean we’re bad people to rent to. We actually are good people, we just fell on hard times,” and to landlords he said, “I urge you and encourage you to give us veterans a shot and just talk to us. Trust me, you’ll find a lot of good people out there.”
For ways to get involved, please view the resources below:
- Unhoused Vets – If you are an unhoused Veteran in need of support and housing assistance, call 310-268-3350 to get started.
- Property Owners – If you want to rent to unhoused Veterans and you have units available or want more information about renting your units to Vets, email vashprograms@hacla.org.
- Partners – To participate in this initiative contact HouseOurVets@lacity.org.
