Los Angeles County has more than enough federal rental vouchers to house every homeless veteran living on the streets or in shelters. There are about 3,400 veterans without stable housing right now, but there are roughly 4,000 vouchers sitting unused. On paper, the math should be easy: every veteran could be placed in a home today. In reality, that’s not happening.
Red Tape and Delays Stop Progress
The main roadblock isn’t a lack of vouchers. It’s the complicated process that keeps many veterans from ever using them. Too much paperwork, too many steps, and a lack of clear communication slow things down. Some veterans start the process but give up before they can sign a lease. Others wait so long that they simply move on. The system is supposed to connect veterans with homes, but instead, it creates delays that leave people stuck on the streets.
Referrals Rarely Lead to Housing
Since 2020, nearly half of the veterans who were referred for housing through these vouchers never actually moved into a home. Even those who managed to sign a lease often lost their housing within a short time. That means the program isn’t just struggling at the start—it’s failing to keep people housed over the long run. Instead of being a safety net, it ends up being a revolving door.
Agencies in Charge Aren’t Delivering
Two agencies control most of the vouchers: the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Development Authority. Together, they handle about 87 percent of the available subsidies. The problem is that their systems don’t work smoothly. From the moment a veteran is referred to the time a lease is signed, to the support services that follow, too many cracks in the system cause people to fall through. These breakdowns turn what could be a straightforward solution into a drawn-out struggle.
The Missed Opportunity
The hardest part to accept is that the solution already exists. There are enough rental subsidies to completely end veteran homelessness in Los Angeles right now. Yet because of the way the system is managed, veterans are still left sleeping in tents, cars, or shelters. The vouchers are sitting unused while lives remain stuck in limbo. This isn’t just a housing problem—it’s a sign of how broken the system is. Without major changes, the city will keep missing its chance to end veteran homelessness once and for all.
