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 Under the plan backed by voters in a primary election on Tuesday,
the state will sell bonds to build apartments and temporary shelters
for qualifying veterans or those recovering from physical injuries
or mental health issues.
California has about 25 percent or 19,000 homeless veterans,
according to the Coalition for Veterans Housing support group.
With the winding down of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of
those returning need housing, employment, and mental health and drug
treatment.
The proposal, which also received bipartisan support from lawmakers
and faced no organized opposition, means the state will pay out an
estimated $50 million annually for 15 years in interest payments on
the bonds.
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In her first address as speaker last month, Assembly Speaker Toni
Atkins, who co-authored the measure with former Speaker John Perez,
named homelessness among veterans as a priority.
(Editing by Sharon Bernstein and James Macharia)
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