City Assists Homeless Vets

Riverside has found housing for 89 homeless veterans in the city.

The city’s effort began in June, after President Obama issued a challenge to U.S. mayors to find housing for homeless veterans in their communities, Phil Pitchford, spokesman for the city, said Tuesday.

Riverside officials set a goal of finding housing for 86 homeless veterans by the end of the year but ended up topping that number by three. The last veteran was found housing on the afternoon of Dec. 31, according to a city statement.

Riverside’s economic development department and other staff, including the department’s Housing Division and Homeless Outreach Team, identified homeless veterans in the city who needed help, Pitchford said.

The six-month program represented a “big push” by the city to help its homeless veterans, although its efforts didn’t end with the start of the new year.

“It was a response to President Obama’s challenge,” Pitchford said. “Some mayors took him up on it and others did not. But it’s an ongoing problem, and we’re always going to do whatever we can to help in that area.”

Several public and private entities, including Walmart, Home Depot, the Loma Linda chapter of the Veterans Administration and the Riverside County Housing Authority assisted the city in its efforts.