PRESS RELEASE

Veteran's Day is a time to honor our US military service personnel, and it's also an opportunity to assert our commitment to ensure Veterans are fully integrated into our communities once they return to civilian life. Working to meet the national initiative "Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness," the Long Beach Housing Authority and the VA Long Beach Healthcare System will host the 4th Annual Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) owner orientation program. As part of a national effort, this presents an opportunity for property owners and managers to learn about the VASH Program and participate in helping to end Veteran homelessness in Long Beach in 2015. 

"The City of Long Beach affirms its commitment that no US Veterans or their families be homeless," said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We have created a unified response by local, county, and federal agencies to end Veteran homelessness. Our Continuum of Care system has the capacity to quickly connect homeless Veterans to the help they need and achieve housing stability.”

The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program is a collaboration between the Long Beach Housing Authority and the VA Long Beach Healthcare System that provides case management and supportive services paired with the Housing Choice Voucher Program to eligible homeless Veterans.

"We've made great progress in ending veteran homelessness and we have the resources to support housing veterans, but we need housing opportunities," noted Kelly Colopy, Department of Health and Human Services Director. "This landlord event is designed to increase these opportunities in Long Beach."

This collaborative effort secured permanent housing, supportive case management and medical care services for 946 Long Beach US Veterans, significantly reducing Veteran homelessness in the city. Currently, the VASH Program has the ability to house up to 616 Long Beach US Veteran families.

Event:                         4th Annual HUD-VASH Landlord/Owner Orientation

Date:                           Saturday, November 15, 2014

Time:                          10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location:                    Miller Family Health Education Center, 3820 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA  90807 (One block north of Bixby Avenue)

For more information or to RSVP, please e-mail nelly.chavez@longbeach.gov or celeste.morris@longbeach.gov, or call 562.570.6323 or 562.570.7171.  For more information, visit the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services website at www.longbeach.gov/health.