Pilot program could help vets
PALMDALE — The Palmdale Housing Authority, tonight, will consider approvals for a pilot program to help homeless veterans with job training, housing and jobs.
The Housing Authority meeting will be held during the City Council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 38300 Sierra Hwy. Suite B.
The program will be in partnership with Valley Oasis and Northrop Grumman and will provide a means to house veterans who are learning skills for the aerospace industry through Antelope Valley College’s Accelerated Aircraft Fabrication Program (AFAP) and into jobs with Northrop Grumman.
“(This is) a very exciting project,” Palmdale City Manager J.J. Murphy said Monday. “I think it’s a real opportunity to get local people not just housing, but a job.”
The city owns a building with four, two-bedroom apartments that will be rehabilitated and used to house the veterans in this program.
The property, acquired from the Redevelopment Agency in November 2018, has been vacant since March 2019.
Under tonight’s discussion, is a Housing Authority loan of a maximum of $750,000 for a prepaid lease and the rehabilitation of the apartments, according to the staff report.
The authority will also consider an agreement with Valley Oasis to lease the apartment building, perform the rehabilitation work and serve as the intake agency to identify veterans eligible for the program and provide the necessary services to transition them out of homelessness.
The authority will also consider a Memorandum of Understanding with Valley Oasis and Northrop Grumman to employ veterans under the program who successfully complete the AFAP program.
It is a reflection of the defense giant’s desire to hire more homeless veterans, Murphy said.
The program will help cut the time it can take between completing the
AFAP program and starting work with the defense contractor, which can take six to 12 months in order to obtain a security clearance, he said.
Through this effort, participants can start work sooner, working on projects that do not require the same level of security clearance in the meantime.
This effort is seen as a pilot program for a larger initiative that would also involve the city of Lancaster, increasing its reach across the Valley, Murphy said.
“I think this is going to be a scalable project,” he said.
The cities would provide the housing side of the program through various efforts. It will likely take the form of transitional housing during participants’ training and early employment periods.
Talks have begun with the various parties to explore how best to expand the program, perhaps through a joint grant involving both cities.