San Diego

California Awards $62 Million to Fund Veteran Housing

With the money awarded from Prop 41, VHHP is set to add 836 more affordable housing units in California, with 471 to be veteran-specific

Approximately $62 million was awarded by the state toward veteran housing developments through the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention (VHHP) program on Monday.

The funding is the third rould of awards given to build or rehabilitate 12 development projects aimed at keeping veterans off the streets, according to a statement from VHHP.

“The VHHP program helps veterans and their families regain a sense of place, a sense of pride and peace,” said Director of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Ben Metcalf.

With the money awarded, VHHP is set to add 836 more affordable housing units in California, with 471 to be veteran-specific. Of the 471 units, 243 units will be dedicated to veterans who are chronically homeless.

CalVet Secretary Vito Imbasciani said in a statement that California is committed to helping lift veterans out of homelessness long-term.

“The VHHP funding generates more than four walls and a roof for veterans who are struggling,” said Imbasciani. “It provided a safe place with supportive services that create a ladder for success from chronic homelessness.”

Homelessness among women veterans and their children is on the rise, and on average, more than 9,600 veterans face homelessness in California, according to Imbasciani's statement.

In San Diego, there are approximately 1,054 homeless veterans, according to a 2017 WeAllCount Point-in-time Count.

San Diego is receiving $3,525,000 from this third round of grants to build a development with 31 VHHP units, according to data from the VHHP program.

There are currently three other developments in progress in San Diego County from the first two rounds: one in Oceanside, one in Vista del Puente and another in Grantville.

“We have a number of developments from the first round of grants that are almost done,” said a spokeswoman from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “To build an entire development can take up to two years, so we won’t see developments from round three for another few years.”

VHHP has allotted $238 million to fund housing developments, which was taken from the first three rounds of grants from Proposition 41, and will result in a total of 1970 housing units for veterans and their families, according to the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

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