VA Secretary Meets Virtually with Veterans Experiencing Homelessness at West LA VA
VA Secretary Denis McDonough met virtually with 20 Veterans experiencing homelessness at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center on Nov. 16, 2023, to directly address their concerns and gather firsthand feedback about how VA can better meet their needs.
“Your voices are critical to VA addressing Veteran homelessness and communication directly from you to us is extremely important,” McDonough told the Veterans during the meeting.
The Veterans who attended the session are residents at Care, Treatment, and Rehabilitative Services (CTRS), known as Emergency Shelters. CTRS is a groundbreaking initiative that provides 140 high-risk homeless Veterans with a safe, clean and climate-controlled individual living space as they transition to permanent housing.
CTRS provides Veterans with wraparound care and services including meals, shower and laundry facilities, bike storage and charging stations, VA case workers and medical staff on site, and 24/7 security. Since its inception in 2021, CTRS has helped 850 Veterans and 37 of their spouses/significant others transition to more stable housing options.
The secretary’s visit happened during the Veteran Engagement Committee (VEC) meeting, which gathers every Thursday at CTRS.
The VEC was formed in April 2020 by three Veteran peer support specialists, Matthew Boatright, Monte Daugharty and Moe Moten, and VA civilian medical anthropologist Matthew McCoy. The committee is designed to solicit Veterans’ input on services, introduce new residents and inform improvements at CTRS. Dr. Lisa Altman, associate chief of staff for healthcare transformation and innovation at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, was also instrumental in developing this Veteran-led council, McCoy said.
Navy Veteran Greg Cleghorne has been participating in the VEC for approximately six months. A former public affairs officer who worked in print and broadcast journalism, he’s an active voice during the committee sessions. “I’m glad there’s a mechanism to voice concerns,” Cleghorne said.
More than 75 meetings have been held since the committee’s inception, and several changes have been made based on feedback from Veterans including adding coffeemakers, outdoor tables, dispensers for fresh water, designating a women’s-only Emergency Shelter row and increased medical services including on-site phlebotomy, among others.
“The VEC serves to amplify the voices of Veterans experiencing homelessness,” said McCoy. “These Veterans do not often have a chance to participate and provide input into developing and improving healthcare and housing service offerings. The secretary’s visit and thoughtful discussion with the VEC ensured that these Veterans’ perspectives are considered at the highest levels of the VA.”
The topics covered during the meeting with the secretary included suggestions on how to continue improving conditions at CTRS as well as several personal issues faced by the Veterans.
Cleghorne told the secretary that, as Veterans, the residents of CTRS are mission-oriented, and need more projects or other constructive activities to occupy their time. “These guys are talented,” he said, and suggested CTRS residents could help build homes or shelters for other Veterans.
One of the other main concerns raised was the ongoing Area Median Income (AMI) issue whereas some unhoused Veterans with a higher service-connected disability rating receive more income than what is allowed to qualify for affordable housing units reserved for those earning 30% of the AMI.
The secretary voiced his support for increasing the AMI and changing service-connected disability as a component of the income eligibility calculation. “We are working with Congress to see if we can change that law,” said McDonough, who added that he’s also talking with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to help raise income limits for affordable housing.
Peer Support Specialist Boatright led the meeting during the secretary’s visit.
“The importance of Secretary McDonough’s attendance cannot be overstated,” said Boatright. “Not only was he made aware of challenges particular to CTRS Veterans, but his presence gave reassurance to these Veterans that they were not forgotten.”
Veterans who participated in the meeting will be receiving VA challenge coins as special tokens of appreciation.
“It was great,” Cleghorne said of his time speaking to McDonough. “I missed that. I was admiral-level staff and I got used to being able to put a bug in the boss’s ear.”
The secretary’s visit was in keeping with VA’s commitment to ending Veteran homelessness. VA met its national 2023 goal of housing 38,000 Veterans in the U.S. two months early, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System surpassed its goal of housing 1,500 Veterans one month early, housing 1,606 Veterans as of Nov. 30, 2023. “We’re going to keep pushing — through the end of this calendar year and beyond — until every Veteran has a safe, stable place to call home in this country they fought to defend,” said McDonough.
Cleghorne is working to get his own apartment, but as long as he’s at CTRS he plans to continue sharing his many ideas through the VEC. “I just enjoy being able to make a difference.”