Editorial: Saluting local efforts for homeless veterans
U.S. Army veteran Bruce Waite at his new apartment at Burbank Housing Corp.’s newly opened Burbank Veteran Bungalows on W. Verdugo Avenue on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Waite was the first resident to move into one of the refurbished apartments.
As we report today, the 11-unit Burbank Veteran Bungalows opened late last month, offering hope to some local vets who were grappling with homelessness, among other weighty issues.
With the help of New Directions, which offers social services, those who call the rehabilitated apartment complex their new home can also receive social services as needed.
According to most recent estimates, more than 4,000 vets in Los Angeles County are making do with whatever shelter they can find to make it through the night.
For some, that might mean their car serves as home. Others can be found sleeping on benches, in tents or underneath our ubiquitous freeway overpasses. Anyone with a heart would like life to be a little easier for all of our homeless population, but it’s especially sad to think there are thousands of armed forces veterans — most of whom have placed their lives on the line on our behalf — who are unable to find a place to sleep safely.
Working together, Burbank Housing Corp., the city of Burbank and private donors brought back to life those apartments between West Verdugo and West Angeles avenues. It’s something to be lauded, and we encourage expansion of those efforts to identify and bring to fruition transitional or permanent housing for our homeless veterans.