California Apartment Association

 

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald this week thanked members of the California Apartment Association’s Greater Inland Empire Division for helping to end homelessness among veterans in San Bernardino County.

In October, San Bernardino County asked CAA for help finding housing for the county’s remaining 200 homeless veterans. This prompted CAA and the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino to host a webinar on how CAA members could help.

Several CAA members stepped forward to provide housing, including Cannon Management, the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, Quality Management Group and National CORE Renaissance.

McDonald, who met with CAA members at the San Bernardino County Government Center, wanted to know what enticed rental housing leaders to get involved.

In part, local government helped alleviate financial concerns, said Daniel Nackerman, executive director for the county’s Housing Authority.

“The county stepped up in a big way and committed $100,000 to establish an enhanced security deposit fund that gives landlords full assurance that any damage to their unit will be paid for,” Nackerman said.

Isidra Clark of Cannon Management told McDonald that having a program point person made it easier to get involved.

Helping veterans is not new to CAA members, according to Tim Johnson, executive director for CAA Greater Inland Empire.

“Having one-on-one conversations with a designated contact person provided a good foundation to engage our regional managers,” said Clark, director of property management for Cannon. “Getting buy in at that level is key and I encourage others (CAA members) with top layer managers to take a look at the program.”

“CAA members have fought to end veterans’ homelessness in other parts of the region as well, with monetary donations and housing,” Johnson said. “There are still plenty of opportunities for our members to help veterans throughout the Inland Empire.”