At the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus, a Navy veteran named Kitron Wedding is confronting a daunting housing crisis as he opens the back of his U-Haul truck, which holds his entire life packed in cardboard boxes.
Originally from Virginia, Wedding relocated to Los Angeles in search of stable employment and a promising future in environmental engineering.
After a few months, however, his job fell through, leading him to struggle with rent payments and eventually rely on the VA for housing.
What was intended as a brief stay in a small shelter on the VA campus has morphed into several months of waiting, culminating in his current situation of sleeping in his truck.
“It’s very frustrating,” Wedding expresses, emphasizing the emotional toll of his struggle.
Recently, he came close to securing a permanent apartment, loading his U-Haul with hopes of receiving his keys by day’s end.
Unfortunately, a clerical issue with his paperwork caused delays, raising questions about his eligibility for the unit he thought was set to be his new home.
“I don’t know exactly what’s causing all the holdups,” he admits, highlighting the uncertainty many veterans face in similar situations.
In his quest for answers, Wedding has remained on the VA campus, holding a handmade sign as he seeks clarity amid what appears to be bureaucratic breakdowns in the system.
Veteran housing advocates assert that facing such obstacles is a typical experience among those seeking shelter, indicating that this may be a crucial factor contributing to the stagnation of efforts to combat veteran homelessness.
Rob Reynolds, a veteran housing advocate, points to a recent court ruling that halted the construction of 750 temporary units on the VA campus as a significant setback for veterans looking to transition off the streets.
“Last year, Judge Carter ordered that the VA immediately build temporary shelter for homeless veterans to get them off the street and have a place to stay in the interim until the permanent housing is built,” Reynolds explains.
Despite initiating the planning process, an appeal from the VA led to the abandonment of these necessary temporary housing units.
In addition, advocates highlight lasting effects from cuts to the VA during the Trump administration, coupled with a slow rollout of new housing options, which continue to exacerbate the situation.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at constructing over 6,000 units of permanent housing for veterans on the West LA campus, a development that was welcomed by some advocates.
However, the specifics of how this ambitious goal will be achieved remain unclear as time progresses.
Compounding the crisis is the situation surrounding the HUD-VASH program in Los Angeles, which offers housing vouchers and supportive services for homeless veterans through a collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Critics argue that the voucher rates are inadequate for a competitive rental market, reducing their effectiveness in appealing to landlords.
Although officials report that more than 3,000 HUD-VASH vouchers are currently available, many have gone unused.
As for Wedding, he plans to remain parked on VA grounds until a solution materializes.
His message to the VA is clear: despite his circumstances, he holds onto hope, stating, “I don’t feel abandonment as much as I feel the subject of frustration.”
image source from：spectrumnews1
