Veterans Housing & Services (VHS) is a California public benefit nonprofit organization organized for charitable purposes. Based in Marin County, VHS’s purpose is to identify, pursue and provide housing options for veterans throughout Marin County, California and beyond. Presently, Marin County’s estimated 18,000 veterans include many aging veterans, some on fixed incomes, whose current housing si
tuation is no longer viable due to rising rents and other factors. Marin has the fastest aging population of all of California’s counties, and while many services exist to assist seniors, no organization currently focuses specifically on helping veterans find and select among their increasingly limited housing options. Local governmental entities are financially and compassionately motivated to relocate aging vets to subsidized housing outside of the county (e.g., Veterans Home of California-Yountville in Napa County), thereby shifting the financial burden of their needs from the County to the State of California and / or Federal government. By moving these vets to Yountville Veterans Home, the County totally eliminates future liability arising from their care while ensuring the veteran has guaranteed, life-long housing, food and medical care funded by the State. Many Marin County residents oppose building high density housing that significantly impacts local population density, traffic, parking, noise, and other infrastructure considerations. At the same time, some seniors now live alone in their homes, which once housed their spouses and children, resulting in vacant bedrooms and lower density than their neighborhoods did, and can, sustain. VHS’ goal is to fill a gap by offering a service that helps aging and otherwise vulnerable veterans find viable local housing options that allow them to stay in their home County. In our first few years of operating, VHS intends to actively seek housing opportunities in private, single-family homes. We will also contact rental agents and landlords of larger residential communities to apprise them of our service and seek their cooperation in providing new veterans housing options. VHS plans to the following start-up activities in Phase I of operations:
• CONDUCT A MARKET SURVEY: Clarify the need for new, expanded housing options through a survey of the estimated 18,000 veterans in Marin County, possibly in conjunction with the County and local veterans organizations.
• CREATE AWARENESS: Conduct a local publicity campaign to increase awareness of the need and of VHS serving as a clearinghouse for veterans seeking housing alternatives. This campaign would also seek donations to create a budget for VHS operating expenses.
