‘I’m Just So Grateful’: Greater LA VA Houses 2,191 Veterans in Fiscal Year 2025
By Hannah Sentenac, Office of Strategic, Facility & Master Planning
A year ago, Army Veteran David Gaytan couldn’t have imagined where he’d be today.
After losing his career, his marriage, and his home, the former helicopter repairman lost himself to isolation, addiction and homelessness. For years he struggled in solitude, working side jobs and sleeping in his car.
But after a chance encounter led him to seek help from VA, Gaytan is now living in a brand-new apartment at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and just started a full-time job in the hospital’s bustling laundry facility.
“I’m just waking up every morning being grateful,” he said.
“I’m Done”
After his discharge in the 80s, Gaytan never considered getting help from VA. “Once I got out, I thought, I’m done. I didn’t go to war, so I didn’t feel like there wasn’t anything I could be proud of,” he said.
But one day when he was working a side job, a man thanked Gaytan for his service. That sparked a conversation that helped shift his perspective. He headed to West LA VA to ask a few questions.
“They asked me if I was homeless and I said yes. Then everything came out. Next thing you know I was in the Domiciliary and I got the help I needed,” said Gaytan.
Now, he’s been sober for two-and-a-half years. “I owe it all to the people, the programs, the resources,” he said. “When I came to West LA, I didn’t have a car or a home or a job and now I have all three.”
Having more stability has even allowed Gaytan to start taking care of his mom, who suffers from dementia.
Gaytan is one of 2,191 Veterans who were housed this fiscal year across greater Los Angeles. That number is up more than 18% from last year and exceeds VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System’s (VAGLAHS) housing goal by nearly 20%.
“I’m getting my life back in order and looking forward to being more responsible and more present. I’m just so grateful,” said Gaytan.
Working as One Team
Ask Sally Hammitt, Acting Deputy Medical Center Director for VAGLAHS and former chief of Community Engagement & Reintegration Service (CERS), the largest VA homeless program in the country, and she’ll tell you it’s teamwork that has helped more Veterans get housed.
In 2023, VA launched One Team, an initiative that has united VA and its community partners to move Veterans from homelessness to permanent housing as quickly as possible.
“We really are stronger together, and One Team has proven that to be true,” said Hammitt. “Each year since we launched One Team, we have housed progressively more Veterans.”
In 2022, VAGLAHS housed 1,301 Veterans; in 2023, 1,790; and in 2024, 1,854. This year, 2,191. In addition, permanent housing placements through the Department of Housing and Urban Development – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program have increased 119% since 2022.
“It’s pretty outstanding to see the shift in the numbers,” said Hammitt.
Veterans are housed not just at West LA VA, but in hundreds of communities throughout the VAGLAHS catchment area, spanning 20,000 square miles of Southern California.
And the progress is reflected in more than just one number. This fiscal year, VAGLAHS and its partners also engaged with 2,228 unsheltered Veterans; ensured 95.9% of Veterans housed this year did not return to homelessness; placed 1,316 unsheltered Veterans into interim or permanent housing and hosted five surge outreach events to reach unsheltered Veterans.
Fully Transparent & Data Driven
Part of the key to One Team’s success is its heavy focus on transparency and data, said Hammitt. VA and its partners have worked extensively to reconcile the By Name List (BNL), a continuously updated, real-time system that identifies every known Veteran experiencing homelessness in the region. In addition, everyone at the table is transparent with each other about what is or isn’t working – and they work continuously to improve, said Hammitt.
“Now we have an incredible lens of our operations from when we first identify a Veteran to when they’re housed,” she said. “We are laser focused on eliminating obstacles and barriers that take a Veteran off that journey.”
Before One Team, people claimed widespread collaboration wasn’t possible in Los Angeles, added Hammitt. They said it’s too big, too spread out. “But where there’s a will there’s a way,” she said. And more than two years later, the progress is palpable.
“I’m so proud of everybody, not just our VA staff, but all our incredible community partners like LA County’s Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, LA Homeless Services Authority, our Public Housing Authorities, Supportive Services for Veteran Families Grantees, and so many more,” said Hammitt. “Our success is so much greater when we all work together.”
From One Veteran to Another
At West LA VA, where 681 units of housing for Veterans are now open, One Team is in full force as VA staff work alongside many different partners and programs to help Veterans acclimate and thrive as the community grows and evolves.
“Everyone has a role to play,” said Anthony Rivera, HUD-VASH Project-Based Case Manager for the 671 MacArthur Ave residence, where Gaytan lives. Having formerly worked in a different area of HUD-VASH, Rivera said there are new obstacles that come with housing and supporting Veterans on campus.
“It can be challenging, helping Veterans learn to live independently again,” he said. “But we’re working collaboratively. And offering resources like the Peer Center, the Food Hub, laundry services ... that really helps to foster community and support Veterans as they adapt.”
As Gaytan moves forward with his new life, he said he’s grateful to be at West LA VA, close to everything he needs. Rivera calls him “insightful and resilient,” and is thrilled to see him thriving.
Long term, Gaytan hopes to share his story with other Veterans and help them see that help is available, and it is possible to begin again.
“There is life after whatever you’ve been through,” he said. “You can overcome. Sometimes it takes a long time but it’s doable. Whatever you’ve been through, there’s a reason for it; it will make you stronger.”
If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness in greater Los Angeles, call the temporary housing hotline at