The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County has provided increased assistance to veterans in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Adobe Stock
The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County has provided increased assistance to veterans in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Adobe Stock
The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County saw an uptick in financial services rendered in 2020, with expectations of providing more support in the upcoming year as federal relief programs expired.
The agency is significant to Lake County as it ranks second in the state for the number of veterans who call it home. Through its support of veterans, the commission also helps drive the county economy forward.
The agency is the leading advocacy group in the state's second-largest county. It offers one central office where veterans in the county can visit and gain information on available aid and programs.
Despite COVID-19 pandemic challenges, which were costly in terms of moving away Vietnam veteran volunteers, all of which were in high-risk categories, the agency generated more than $9.2 million in new compensation payments, the annual Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County report found. The review was released in mid-December. The payment resulted in an economic impact of approximately $46 million in Lake County.
The commission provides services for financial assistance, veterans advocacy and partnerships. There was $81,506 in veteran financial aid provided by the commission, which is expected to increase this year, the report said. The financial assistance was divided into several areas: $24,039 in rental and mortgage assistance, $2,061 in utility assistance, and $50,905 in emergency shelter and meals to under-resourced veterans and families.
The report also listed $4,500 in burial costs for under-resourced veterans.
The commission's funding represented a 77% increase in financial assistance since 2019, the report said. There is also a 74% hike for an emergency shelter for under-resourced veterans and families.
The increase in homeless families reversed successes in housing veterans in the prior three years.
The raise is small compared to what the agency expects in the upcoming year for rental, mortgage and utility assistance, the report said. The moratorium on evictions will end, putting some veterans in dire straits. The commission reported 58 veterans in critical danger of becoming homeless in Lake County at a minimum.
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