‘You Have to Be Determined’: One Veteran’s Journey from Tiny Shelter to Tranquil Apartment

The .gov means it’s official.Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you're connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and sent securely.

By Hannah Sentenac, Office of Strategic, Facility & Master Planning

When Army Veteran LaVerne Jackson came to the Los Angeles area from North Carolina, she didn’t intend to stay. The trip was a mission of altruism, an effort to help a battle buddy who was

struggling with addiction issues.

Despite doing her best to assist him, Jackson’s friend relapsed, and by the time she was ready to leave, airline ticket prices had increased beyond her means. She was stuck.

“I knew if I could get to VA I would be able to get some help,” said Jackson, who was in Monrovia, Calif., at the time, 38 miles from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center campus. She asked

a passer-by if he knew the way to West LA VA, and miraculously, he was headed there for an appointment and offered to bring her along.

Once she arrived, VA staff immediately got her into a drop-in shelter at Care, Treatment, and Rehabilitative Services (CTRS), a first-of-its-kind emergency shelter program where roughly 135

homeless Veterans live in individual, climate-controlled shelters as they begin their journeys to permanent housing.

It was there that Jackson got the help she needed to take control of her health and her life. “You have to strive for better,” she said of the experience. “You have to be determined to get

what you want.”

In addition to the 135 primary shelters at CTRS, there are 12 drop-in units intended for Veterans in need of emergency shelter on any given evening. In the mornings when it was time to leave

the unit, Jackson would go sit in the nearby rose garden and meditate. “I was praying for direction,” she said.

Then, a staff member told her that one of the main shelters was available, and it was hers if she wanted it. She moved in. During her time there, Jackson worked with staff to implement a

plan for permanent housing. 

For Ryan Wines, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) Social Worker, Jackson was one of his first clients upon joining VA. Since then, he’s seen a transformation in her, he

said. “She was able to overcome several challenges she faced at CTRS and develop her assertiveness and self-advocacy skills.”

Jackson also has nothing but positive things to say about Wines. He has been “awesome,” she said. “He’s stayed on it.” She also credited Brandon Hendrix, Food Service Contractor, for

assisting her in obtaining meals aligned with her vegan lifestyle, which he procured through Cameron Moore of Beyond Vegan Eats. 

Addressing her health issues was another critical component of the time Jackson spent at CTRS. Being in close proximity to all medical facilities on campus, she was able to solve some health

concerns that had been ongoing. “The healthcare is phenomenal; I’ve gotten so much accomplished,” she said.

Another key figure in Jackson’s housing journey has been Kimberly Broughton, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Lead Case Manager. Broughton is with SSVF community grantee

Village for Vets. SSVF grantees offer rapid rehousing assistance among a variety of other supportive services for Veterans. 

Broughton helped her see what housing options were available, said Jackson. “I didn’t know anything about LA. She took it upon herself to look at places and she would send them to me.”

Broughton says Jackson was very shy when the two first met. “Now she’s very vocal and she’s very confident. She’s very honest with me and I’m very honest with her. I treat Ms. Jackson how I

would treat any of my family members; that’s my motto.”

With the help of Broughton and Wines, along with Atif Muhammed, HUD-VASH (Intake) Social Worker, and Ethel Butler, Peer Support Specialist, Jackson was able to find an apartment in Mar

Vista, a peaceful neighborhood in West LA. “I thought it was going to take days to get approved,” she said. “But it only took 30, 35 minutes.” 

Her housing is subsidized through a partnership between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA Supportive Housing (VASH) known as the HUD-VASH program. HUD-VASH

combines federal housing vouchers with services from VA to assist Veterans in accessing permanent housing. SSVF has even helped her furnish her new place, Jackson said.

Jackson’s advice to fellow Veterans is simple: stay focused and take advantage of available resources. “You have to use the tools that are offered in order to overcome whatever challenges

you have.” Actively working with staff is also a key part of getting help, said Jackson. 

“I think Ms. Jackson’s journey speaks to the fact that someone can come into CTRS for whatever reason, at whatever point in their life, and we’re there for them,” said Wines.

Jackson is currently working on finishing up a degree in holistic medicine and looks forward to what the future has in store.