Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
One of my favorite things to tell people about living in Clark County, Washington is that as a veteran, my community is very “veteran friendly.” We have fantastic support at our local colleges, an active Veterans Assistance Center that controls a fund to support veterans that may be going through a tough time. We are the only non-rural county in the state of Washington to have paid county veteran service officers assisting our veterans in navigating their VA benefits and we even have a therapeutic court system, ensuring veterans are receiving a second chance without ruining their futures because of a moment of bad judgement. With all the amazing things that we as residents of Clark County do for our veterans, it has come to my attention recently that we are failing as a county to support making sure that all our veterans have a safe place to call home.
Clark County should expand housing incentives that encourage landlords and developers to participate in HUD-VASH, the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program. At the moment, active local support is concentrated in the city of Vancouver, which limits where veterans with vouchers can live. These vouchers are life changing because they connect veterans not only to housing, but also to VA support such as social workers, mental health care, primary care, and specialty clinics.
Many veterans face challenges when they transition to civilian life. This can range from military service disabilities to the rising cost of housing in our area. Fortunately, there are proven programs already in place that are designed to help. HUD-VASH works. A federal study found that more than 80% of veterans placed in housing through the program remained housed one year later. In other words, if 10 veterans are housed, at least eight are still in stable housing a year later while receiving support through HUD-VASH and the local VA.
As successful as HUD-VASH is, a voucher only helps if a veteran can find a landlord willing to accept it. In Clark County, that remains difficult for veterans and case workers. Other Washington communities have used tools such as Multi-Family Tax Exemption programs to encourage affordable housing, while the state’s Landlord Mitigation Program helps reduce financial risk for landlords who rent to voucher holders. Clark County should use similar incentives countywide as new housing developments continue to appear. Studies on MFTE programs in our state have shown that new residential development generates construction related sales taxes, economic activity and long-term property tax revenue once tax exemption periods expire. These programs should be seen as an investment into our communities.
As a veteran myself and a future social worker, I believe that if we can work together, we can provide more stable housing for our community veterans and most importantly, a home. With stable housing, this reduces the health care costs at our local emergency departments, strengthens our community and most importantly improves the lives of our Clark County veterans.
Supporting our veterans means more than saying “Thank you for your service.” Clark County is home to over 30,000 veterans. These men and women have served our county and continue to contribute to our community every day. There are already proven programs that exist and federal resources that are available. Our local leaders should be advocating and making those opportunities countywide to translate into housing opportunities for our veterans. Saying “Thank you” means removing barriers and creating opportunities and ensuring every veteran has a fair chance to a safe place called “home” after their military service.
Tiffany Plous Ferschweiler
US Army veteran
