LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Salvation Army is seeing more and more homeless veterans.
It's a growing problem, according to officials from Veterans Affairs.
I met Ken Kernitzki, a veteran that is like many other homeless vets who are looking for help.
"I have been there about three months now," he told me. "I am waiting to get a HUD apartment."
Danielle Eldridge, the lead case manager for VA contracts at the Salvation Army, says veterans have been telling her it is easier for them to access services at the Salvation Army.
"We have had a lot of veterans coming to Vegas because they have heard that we have a pretty good VA system out here and that is very streamlined with getting housing and helping them with their medical and mental health," she explained.
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So how does the program work?
First, veterans go to the VA. Then, they're able to go to the Salvation Army.
So far this year, the organization has helped 400 veterans and it appears that word is spreading.
"We have people coming from Florida, from Idaho, from Alaska, from Hawaii," Eldridge said.
Major Harold Laubach, the divisional secretary for southern Nevada, Salvation Army, tells me vets who come here are helped with navigating the VA, jobs, and finding housing.
"Everybody comes in for different reasons but we have new visitors every day."
In 2023, there were 959 homeless veterans here in Clark County. In total, 6,566 homeless people here, which is up almost a thousand people compared to 2022.
"The recent spike in inflation and cost of living, for a lack of a better word, it created a perfect storm," Laubach said.
The VA has a goal to permanently house around 900 vets here in 2024. Soon, they will use a new mobile medical unit to also help veterans living on the streets.
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"Our programs are working on increasing our numbers and the amount of beds we have available because we are expecting more of a surge," Eldridge said.
Kernitzki tells me he has gotten the care he needs so far.
"It gives that safety net until you can kick it into gear," he said.
