Speakers at Norwalk ceremony spotlight veteran homelessness and praise Veterans Villas
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Summary
At Norwalk’s Veterans Day event, a Gulf War veteran described escaping homelessness after moving into Veterans Villas; county and local officials highlighted programs and announced a forthcoming county motion to coordinate departments to end veteran homelessness.
NORWALK, Calif. — Veteran speakers and county representatives used Norwalk’s Veterans Day ceremony to draw attention to veteran homelessness and to local housing supports.
Keynote speaker Sergeant Steven Johnson, a Gulf War veteran, described years of addiction and living on the street before finding housing at Norwalk’s Veterans Villas. Johnson credited a local ministry and Veterans Villas staff with his recovery and said the Villas gave him stability: “The next day, he called me and said, come pick up your keys. I still cry to this day,” Johnson said.
American Legion Post 359 Commander Angelo Maldonado urged vigilance about veterans’ mental health and cited a Department of Veterans Affairs figure — ‘‘more than 17 veterans a day’’ die by suicide, he said — while pointing attendees to crisis lines, including county 211 and the national 988 hotline.
A representative for Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn told the ceremony the supervisor will introduce a motion to rally county departments to end veteran homelessness. The representative said that in Los Angeles County “we have over 3,000 veterans who are sleeping on our streets,” and emphasized county-level coordination as a next step.
County Assessor Jeffrey Prang noted programs that provide property-tax relief to veterans, and state and federal representatives acknowledged ongoing legislative work to expand and protect veterans’ housing options; Elyssa Chavez, a field representative for Rep. Linda Sánchez, referenced a bipartisan Fair Housing for Disabled Veteran Act intended to protect disabled veterans’ access to affordable housing.
Local leaders highlighted Norwalk’s Veterans Villas as a model for supportive housing: Mayor Tony Ayala said the complex provides homes and on-site services and that about one-third of units are dedicated to veterans who were once unhoused. City Manager Jesus Gomez and staff also described the Hometown Heroes banner program, which seeks to recognize active service members and ran an application window from May 1 to Aug. 15 this year.
No formal city or county votes were taken at the ceremony. Organizers and officials urged the public to use local veterans’ services and crisis lines and said they would follow through on the county motion when it is introduced to the Board of Supervisors.
Journalists and service providers seeking confirmation of the figures cited (VA suicide rate, the county count of unsheltered veterans) should consult the Department of Veterans Affairs and Los Angeles County sources for verification.
