Los Angeles County recently launched a program designed to accelerate housing placements for homeless and justice-involved veterans and strengthen long-term housing stability across all five supervisorial districts.
The Veteran Housing Navigation Program (VHNP), run by the county’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will place housing navigator teams in each of the county’s supervisorial districts.
“I think we all feel a collective shame that any veteran finds themselves living on our streets. We have made progress getting veterans housed and cared for, but we have to do more, and we have to do better,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, Fourth District. “This new program is designed to break down the bureaucratic barriers that have existed between departments and ultimately get more veterans connected to permanent housing more quickly. Our veterans don’t just deserve our praise – they are owed our support and our care.”
The program supports the county’s broader strategy to end veteran homelessness by expanding dedicated housing navigation services and improving coordination across agencies and providers. According to the U.S. Census estimates, there were 197,579 civilian U.S. military veterans living in Los Angeles County in 2024. They comprised about 2.5 percent of the county’s civilian population. There were currently an estimated 3,050 veterans experiencing homelessness, which is a 10 percent decrease from 2024.
Through One Team, a collaboration that unites Los Angeles County departments, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, housing partners and community organizations, VHNP enhances system alignment and strengthens the collective effort to connect veterans with permanent housing and sustained support.
Housing Navigator teams in each supervisorial district provide hands-on assistance with housing searches, unit identification, document readiness, landlord engagement, transportation to viewings and help with rental applications. Navigators also connect veterans to employment support, behavioral health care, legal advocacy and VA benefits as part of a comprehensive stabilization plan.
By accelerating placements, reducing administrative and practical barriers and strengthening communication across providers, VHNP fills a critical gap in the veteran homelessness response system. Navigators work closely with the Veteran Coordinated Entry System to ensure timely referrals, a coordinated experience and ongoing support that helps veterans remain stably housed.
“We have our sights set on the federal benchmarks for ending veteran homelessness and the county’s investment in standing up this program is further proof our board is fully invested in the One Team partnership with our federal, state, and city partners,” said Military Veterans Affairs Director Jim Zenner. “Our veterans who are experiencing homelessness on our streets deserve nothing less than the level of devotion to the mission they maintained during their military service from the staff employed to assist them getting off the street. That has been and will continue to be my expectation on the road to meeting this countywide goal.”