After Iraq Warfare horrors, this veteran can’t safe VA housing in Los Angeles

Josh Petitt lived by means of the nightmare of the Iraq Warfare, working alongside Chris Kyle (of American Sniper fame) and surviving bomb blasts, ambushes, and bloody battles.

After enduring what most individuals may by no means think about, the Purple Coronary heart recipient got here house to Los Angeles . Tragically, his struggles have since continued on the house entrance 18 years later.

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Petitt, like many veterans, is struggling and desires assist. He desires to maneuver into inexpensive housing underneath development on the Veterans Affairs campus however is being denied as a result of he makes an excessive amount of cash resulting from his a number of disabilities.

Petitt, 39, makes simply $43,200 a yr in one among America’s most costly cities. After subtracting $5,000 a month in youngster assist, his $37,200 pay is taken into account one step above the poverty degree in Los Angeles, in accordance with the Division of Housing and City Improvement's newest figures .

“I make the cash the VA offers me, being 100% disabled,” he instructed the Washington Examiner. “They're constructing housing on land that was deeded to troopers, and a soldier can’t keep there who wants a house due to the cash they gave him. If they need a few of my cash, take some again and simply give me a type of residences.”

Roughly half of the 358 new residences are reserved for veterans who make lower than $41,700 a yr, in accordance with figures offered by the Division of Veterans Affairs. If a veteran is deemed eligible for full incapacity funds, their earnings jumps to Petitt’s degree, which is above that threshold.

The remaining housing is claimed to permit for incomes of as much as $50,040 — however Petitt has been instructed, with out clarification, he's not eligible for these both.

Veterans' advocate Rob Reynolds, who works with the AMVETS service group in Los Angeles, mentioned our heroes who deserve the best degree of care are being denied due to accidents they suffered within the line of responsibility.

“We really feel our disabled vets are those to learn essentially the most from being on the VA,” Reynolds mentioned. “They're making an attempt to push him right into a HUD voucher. He desires to be near the VA, the place he will get psychological appointments and may be round different veterans.”

Final yr, Reynolds was one of many driving forces to dismantle a veteran homeless camp from the sidewalk in entrance of the VA and transfer them into non permanent tiny properties on campus.

The advantages of the housing are immense for individuals like Petitt. He has no automobile, and the brand new property is inside strolling distance of remedy and docs. He would even be residing in a safe surroundings with a robust community of fellow service members.

Petitt joined the army when he was 18 after watching the assault on 9/11. He was stationed in each Fallujah and Ramadi, the place the famed sniper Kyle was in his unit.

Petitt was injured in two automobile IED blasts, together with one during which the individual sitting subsequent to him was blown aside. He was additionally shot at, and the shrapnel from the three incidents has left him with two knee accidents, bulging spinal discs, and an virtually full lack of listening to. However the worst harm is psychological, he mentioned.

“The VA is an effective place to work on your self, and I wish to be round different veterans,” Petitt mentioned. However his repeated efforts to snag one of many new properties had been dismissed by his VA coordinator.

The VA has mentioned it's working to deal with veterans throughout Los Angeles and can maintain a lottery for the housing when it turns into accessible.

“The housing being developed on the grounds of the VA Medical Heart is a crucial useful resource, however solely one of many many efforts VA is making,” VA spokesman Terrence Hayes mentioned. “Prior to now month, VA has begun a brand new effort to recruit personal sector landlords by means of progressive incentives.”

When requested why Petitt was instructed he didn’t qualify for half of the properties inside his wage vary, Reynolds had no reply.

“No one in West LA [VA] is within the loop of what's actually happening,” Reynolds mentioned. “No one is on the identical web page. You go one place and listen to one reply and go one other place to listen to one other reply.”

Reynolds communicated his considerations to Keith Harris, a VA senior official on homelessness, who admitted there's a downside.

“I/we share your considerations right here,” Harris mentioned in an e-mail to Reynolds. “I’m working with a big group of individuals on this to construct a case … One of many actions deliberate is to develop a Veteran Motion Board.”