#pointintimecounts — Public Fediverse posts

Contributor: When will L.A.'s #veterans finally get the housing they were promised?

Jon Duffy, November 10, 2026

"An annual count in January put the number of #HomelessVeterans across most of Los Angeles County at 2,257, down 26% from the year before. That decline is welcome. It's harder to explain why veterans have twice had to sue their government over housing on land donated for that very purpose.

"In the first suit, filed in 2011, homeless veterans with severe disabilities challenged the VA's leases to outside groups on the 387-acre #WestLosAngeles VA campus in #BrentwoodCA. They argued that without a place to live near the #VAHospital, they couldn't get the care they needed. The VA settled in 2015. The plan that followed that settlement called for 1,200 homes to be built on the campus.

"More than a decade later, the VA is still working toward that goal."

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/contributor-l-veterans-finally-housing-160842310.html

#USPol #VeteransDay #HomelessVeterans #Unhoused
#Homelessness #PointInTime #PointInTimeCounts #Undercounts #California #LosAngeles

#SpringfieldMO advocates raise awareness of #Veteran #homelessness at #VeteransDay parade

By Ciara Folkerts
Published: Nov. 7, 2026 at 7:28 PM EST

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) — "As crowds gathered for Springfield’s Veterans Day parade, local advocates called attention to a challenge some veterans face after their service.

"Michael Bohlen, a support specialist for Ozarks Alliance to End Homelessness for Community Partnership of the Ozarks, said veteran homelessness has decreased in the area, with 27 veterans reported as homeless. But he cautioned that the numbers may not capture everyone without stable housing.

"Bohlen said the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted progress toward ending homelessness and created additional instability for people already struggling to afford a place to live.

" 'There are folks who, while they may still have housing, they’re one paycheck away, and suddenly they can find themselves in a hotel room,' Bohlen said.

"He worries the problem could grow as housing costs rise faster than incomes.

" 'I think this is a situation that’s just going to get worse and worse,' Bohlen said. 'That as people’s incomes don’t keep up with the cost of living, it’s just there’s going to be a lot more people who wind up on the streets.'

"Bohlen said a shortage of #AffordableHousing remains a major obstacle to reducing homelessness in southwest #Missouri. He estimated Springfield has a deficit of more than 8,000 affordable homes.

" 'If you have a senior on a fixed income and rent increases continue to climb, but income doesn’t keep up, something has to give,' he said.

"Army veteran Michael McFarland proudly wore his uniform at the parade, decades after serving in the 1960s. But he says that same sense of pride can make it difficult for veterans to ask for help when they need it.

" 'Somebody wants to help you. So please, reach out,' McFarland said. 'You might have to take the first step to reach out to a post, American Legion post. There’s some in Springfield. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be hesitant.' "

Source:
https://www.ky3.com/2026/11/08/springfield-advocates-raise-awareness-veteran-homelessness-veterans-day-parade/

#HomelessVeterans #Homelessness #HousingForAll #Unhoused #PointInTime #PointInTimeCounts #Undercounts #HousingInsecurity #USPol #Veterans

Messenger: On #VeteransDay, a small step in #StLouis toward reducing homelessness

by Tony Messenger, November 11, 2026

"America talks a good game when it comes to supporting our nation’s veterans.

"On Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, we hang our flags high and thank veterans for their service. On Saturdays and Sundays, we watch college and pro football, with players and coaches wearing special 'salute to veterans' patches and hats. We direct our eyes to the sky during the F-18 flyovers and salute the veterans in our midst.

"Beyond our patriotic gestures, reality tells a different story.

"Congress often falls short when it comes to funding the #VeteransAdministration , leaving gaps in healthcare services. Veterans come home from forever wars with forever problems, from PTSD to drug addiction, and our government is often slow to help.

"That’s why more than 32,000 veterans experienced homelessness last year, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There’s a nugget of good news in that number: it’s been declining nationally since 2009. Still, more than 13,000 veterans who have experienced #homelessness are #unsheltered, meaning they’re living on the streets, under a bridge or in a tent in the woods.

"But here’s another bit of good news: in a couple of weeks, about 15 veterans living on the streets in St. Louis will have a new option. The nonprofit Peter & Paul Community Services is opening a floor for veterans on its community campus in north St. Louis. The #TransitionalHousing, which will include counseling and case management services, will be funded by the VA.

" 'We’ve seen more and more veterans come through our system,' says Anthony D’Agostino, the CEO of Peter & Paul. 'Until now, we didn’t have a place on our campus to put them.'

"Peter & Paul moved into the former Little Sisters of the Poor Building on North Florissant Avenue in 2024, with the help of the city and funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Since then, it has slowly been opening each of the eight floors of the facility and partnering with other nonprofits to serve different groups of people in danger of homelessness.

"There’s a medical respite floor operated by the nonprofit Three Steps Home, the first of its kind in St. Louis, to help folks who still need medical care after a hospital release. There’s a floor for people with developmental disabilities, and another for families.

"The facility has housed people who lost their homes in the 2025 #tornado and, more recently, those who were kicked out of the #MarkTwainBuilding downtown.

"The 15 veterans’ units, each with their own small apartment, will add to about 127 apartments or other facilities in St. Louis run by nonprofits and targeted to veterans. There is the #TinyHomes community on #NorthGrand, opened in 2023 and run by the Veterans Community Project. St. Patrick’s Center’s operates 47 apartments for veterans at its #ProjectHERO site at Freedom Place on Delmar Boulevard. And the Criminal Justice Ministry has long served veterans who need a place to stay following a prison sentence.

"Together, the various nonprofits will have almost enough units for the estimated 150 veterans living on the streets in St. Louis, according to the most recent estimate. It’s progress, but D’Agostino says there are likely more people facing homelessness than the annual HUD #PointInTime counts can identify, as well as several in outlying counties who often end up in St. Louis seeking services.

"The population offers a paradox for folks who work to end homelessness. Veterans are at a higher risk for homelessness because of the trauma they have suffered, and they often are in more need of mental-health and other services. But veterans also have access to VA and other services, which can help nonprofits working with them — if those nonprofits can get them into shelters and transitional housing.

"Too many American veterans have no shelter over their heads as temperatures drop and winter nears. Let’s save our empty salutes until all of them have a place they can call home."

Source:
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/tony-messenger/article_91ba7be1-f6d2-46aa-bf60-6b5dc53c4a7e.html

#SaintLouisMO #StLouisMO #Missouri #Unhoused #PTSD #HomelessVeterans
#Veterans #USPol #WinterIsComing #ExtremeWeather #HousingForAll #PointInTimeCounts #VeteransServices #Veterans