Nevada County is close to ending homelessness for local veterans and with help from landlords and property managers could reach this goal by Dec. 31.
A campaign called “Housed for the Holidays” launched Nov. 17 with the goal of matching landlords with 10 veterans who need a place to call home.
“We’re committed to ending homelessness in Nevada County. If anyone has a granny flat or room or something we can rent please reach out so we can be helpful. If you’re a veteran or know a veteran, please call,” said Veterans Service Officer David West, who knows first hand the emotional toll and barriers homeless veterans face.
Today, Nevada County is in the last mile of ending veteran homelessness, said West.
This year’s holiday campaign is a partnership between Nevada County Health and Human Services Agency, Nevada County Veterans Service Office and FREED Center for Independent Living.
It’s part of a larger coordinated effort and support network among numerous local, state and national stakeholders that started two years ago when Nevada County announced an intention to end veteran homelessness through a nationwide data-driven movement called Built for Zero.
“We’re so close. We want to hit functional zero. It truly is a good Christmas present for everyone who is involved,” Nevada County’s Housing Resource Manager Brendan Phillips. Phillips oversees the Homeless Outreach and Medical Engagement (HOME) Team, a community partnership that works to connect people experiencing homelessness to the services they need.
Functional zero shows that the community has fewer veterans experiencing homelessness than can be routinely housed at any given time, according to the nonprofit, Community Solutions.
In October, Governor Gavin Newsom announced nearly $130.7 million in Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) program grants to help 18 cities, counties, and Continuums of Care (CoCs) resolve critical encampment concerns, address the housing and health and safety needs of people living in encampments and permanently house people.
Access to a special veterans flex fund through Built for Zero will help FREED support local houseless veterans. FREED provides a variety of services around issues that arise with aging and disabilities. Houseless veterans in Nevada County fit this need.
“Homelessness is not how it used to look. This is our county’s unhoused population living on a fixed income or no income,” said Serena Cantway, Housing Navigator for FREED.
“It’s so hard out there to find housing, it’s almost like having a second job. Without resources you can remain on the streets for a significant amount of time. Having access to these resources and having someone advocate for you has opened doors for people,” said Cantway.
Landlord engagement is key to reaching zero
For the past year, local stakeholders have met weekly to create a real-time, by-name list of every known veteran experiencing homelessness in Nevada County.
That list began as 40 – 50 veterans two years ago when Nevada County joined the Built for Zero movement, a national effort to use data to measurably end homelessness for entire populations.
“Over time we’ve been able to bring that number down,” said Phillips.
Five months ago, the support team re-evaluated data with partners and found that the by-name list of names had shrunk by more than half to 26 veterans in need of housing. Today that number has been halved again, reduced to 14, nine of which are actively working with FREED to secure housing.
“We’re hoping to be able to utilize every resource available to us to keep our numbers down and help these vets get off the streets. We’re looking for room rentals. We’re looking for apartment rentals, studios, something that will allow an emotional support animal like a little cat or dog,” said Cantway.
If ten landlords come forward this holiday season, and a good match is made, they can essentially wipe out homelessness for veterans in Nevada County. Landlord engagement is key to reach “functional zero,” say officials.
“If we could secure 10 landlords we could reach our goal,” said Phillips.
Nevada County and FREED bridge the gap between the unhoused population and landlords. FREED has access to a host of resources to mitigate risks and create a win-win situation for everyone. The team administers a number of incentives such as signing bonuses, holding fees, access to risk mitigation funds and even funding to assist landlords with who wish to upgrade rooms or granny units on properties to rentable standards.
Veterans with housing vouchers help to guarantee rent for landlords.
“There are a myriad of things we’ve brought to the table so landlords get a good deal. The landlord doesn’t have to accept just anyone. It’s always about choice. The financial peice for landlords is the bottom line and we understand this. These resources are aimed at getting a landlord to ‘yes,’” said Phillips.
FREED helps veterans navigate paperwork, digital forms and gather important documents. Veterans receive rental assistance (including security deposits), cash for moving in costs such as purchasing furniture, long term subsidies for utility bills, housing vouchers and long term support for health services and food security. Veterans move from a crisis mindset to a place of safety and stability where they can experience a happier quality of life.
“Making it accessible, that is the biggest thing for people,” said Norma Speace, Housing Coordinator for FREED. Treating veterans with compassion and respect is a priority for the organization, she said.
“It’s all hands on deck when we get someone housed. The program helps communities, like Nevada County, change how local response teams work and the impact that they make,” said Phillips.
If any issues arise between landlord and tenant, a support network is just a phone call away with rapid response time to navigate any issues. If it’s not a good fit, the team can “unwind leases” and help a veteran move to a new location.
So far, the program with veterans has been effective, with high rates of veterans successfully remaining housed. Now that support teams have cracked the nut of functional zero with veterans they can take what they’ve learned and apply the lessons to adopt programs for other sub populations experiencing homelessness like families with children and seniors.
“One thing they all need is a place to live, a place to call home,” said Phillips.
Landlords and property managers interested in the program can contact FREED at 530-477-3333 ext 212 or 226 or norma@freed.org.
Veterans looking for housing can contact 211 Connecting Point at 1-833-DIAL211.
Find more housing resources at www.nevadacountyca.gov/housingresources.
Built for Zero is a national initiative of more than 100 cities and counties that have committed to measurably and equitably ending homelessness, one population at a time.
Learn more www.builtforzero.org
Laura Petersen is a freelance writer living in Grass Valley. This is one of a series of articles written on behalf of Nevada County. She can be reached at laurapetersenmedia@gmail.com.