Pet assistance funding secured for homeless individuals in Victorville

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — The Office of Senator Scott Wilk announced that more than $150,000 in funding from the Pet Assistance and Support (PAS) program has been awarded to the City of Victorville for use on its new Wellness Center Campus.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)’s PAS program supports local homeless shelter projects which seek to accommodate the needs of pets owned by individuals experiencing homelessness. By providing these accommodations, the PAS intends to remove the difficult choice many people must make between utilizing shelter resources and keeping pets.

“This is wonderful news for the Victorville community. Recent triple-digit temperatures remind us of the need to have facilities that can serve both people and their pets,” said Wilk.

“We all know the connection between you and your pet is special as Vanessa and I treat our two four-legged friends like members of our family. This critical funding will ensure vulnerable pet owners don’t have to choose between caring for themselves and their pets.”

The PAS program supports institutions such as the Wellness Center Campus in Victorville by eliminating obstacles that could prevent an individual or family from taking full advantage of available resources. Ideally, the community impact of shelters will expand as more individuals are drawn into support networks by the ability to keep their pets.

“Homelessness is one of California’s biggest challenges. Victorville alone has one of the highest concentrations of homeless persons in the county, and these new PAS funds are another step on the path to creating a well-rounded, respectful, lasting solution to the homelessness crisis,” concluded Wilk. 

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