The overall number of veterans living without long-term housing, either sheltered or unsheltered, has declined steadily since 2010.
A recent report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development found that roughly 8% of all unhoused Americans living in shelters were veterans.
In this week’s “In Focus SoCal,” host Tanya McRae sat down with Assemblyman James Ramos, the new chair of the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, to discuss current proposals to assist veterans who are struggling.
There is currently a $250 million funding request for the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program. Ramos also introduced AB 1623, which would give California’s 146,000 military retirees a tax exemption on their service pensions.
“I think there should be an exemption for our military personnel, especially when they’re seniors in our community, in our state, trying to get by with the means that they have,” said Ramos.
Due to the burst in inflation, the Social Security Administration had the biggest cost-of-living adjustment in nearly 40 years for millions of recipients, including disabled veterans. Spectrum News 1’s Taylor Torregano spoke to local veterans about the increase and the difference the extra dollars make.
McRae also sat down with Lester Probst, a Korean War veteran who is currently developing a play that is shedding more light on the epidemic of military sexual assault. He’s working with the Veterans Empowerment Theatre at ArtsUP! LA to debut “Volun-tears” at the Blue Door Theater this fall.
Mike Thirtle, CEO of the Gary Sinise Foundation, also joined this week’s show to talk about the different programs that the organization provides for veterans and their families. One program builds or adapts homes for severely wounded veterans.
“We try to make it easier for them, and it’s really through that process of all the little things that makes life more meaningful for people,” said Thirtle.
For more information on the Gary Sinise Foundation, visit here.
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