Mission Statement – To create a cost-effective, rapid scalable approach to increasing the stock of affordable housing to our Homeless Veterans/ Veterans with Families, Homeless Transgender and displaced Transitional Age Youth. The provision of providing safe, high quality homes as well as job training / career placement programs creates a lasting social impact for those we serve.

Summary

Provide community-oriented housing for at-risk adults as an initial goal.  After a thorough screening/evaluation, services may be provided including mental health and healthcare services. Our overarching goal is developing housing alternatives and training for these at-risk populations as one relies on the other. 

The Details

VOALA intends to utilize manufactured homes from one of VOALA’s Community Partners for an Emergency Housing project currently in the planning stages for other emergency housing locations. VOALA has already negotiated a price and established a construction schedule for these homes, which can be installed and become operational within 6 months of site control.

These modular homes are approximately 456 square feet and can accommodate 2 to 4 people.  Also including support personnel at a ratio of 16 people/client, this development sustains about 177 homeless individuals per acre in a supervised setting.  Length of stay does vary by person, but ranges from 3 months to 18 months, and averages about 6 months per person.  This indicates that about 355 people per acre year will be accommodated through the facility at an average initial cost of $15,000 per bed.

Mental health and healthcare services will be performed by current VOALA personnel, with contracts from the Veterans Administration and Department of Mental Health.  Once the client is stabilized, additional evaluations are performed to determine the type of vocational or other training that may be needed before reassignment to workforce housing already controlled by VOALA.  If the candidate is found to be unsuitable for vocational training, other permanent transitional/ affordable housing could be provided within the existing housing already managed by VOALA.

Timeline

Additional Details

  • Modular homes to include double-pane windows, compost toilets, water-efficient showers, grey water recirculation. 
  • Rapid-response option would include stand-alone toilet/showers, which reduces construction time, and construction costs.
  • Movable planters with native plants – drought resistant plants provided by VOALA’s Disabled Vet Nursery Program (West LA Campus)
  • Maintenance staff includes a training program, administered by VOALA
  • Cleaning staff includes a training program, administered by VOALA
  • VOALA
  • VOALA and American Veterans Mini Home Builders (AVMHB), Los Angeles office is already staffed and moving forward with this program.  VOALA is rolling out a version of this program throughout Southern California.
  • Graphics/Floorplans