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Trump signs executive order for more veteran housing at West LA VA campus
Judge David O. Carter, left, and lawyers in a lawsuit alleging that the Department of Veterans Affairs has illegally leased veteran land, tour the West L.A. VA facilities.
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Brian van der Brug
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday that would require the secretary for Veterans Affairs to present a plan to house 6,000 veterans on the West L.A. VA campus by 2028.
Why it matters: The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently committed to 1,200 units on the campus by 2030. The executive order would expand and accelerate those plans.
Why now: The order, which is titled “Keeping Promises to Veterans and Establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence,” was issued Friday.
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The backstory: New temporary housing on the West L.A. campus has been in limbo since a federal appeals court granted a stay allowing the VA to halt work ordered by a federal judge. The order comes more than two months after Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen sent a letter to Trump asking him to fast-track construction of the veteran housing, writing that “appeals and red tape can last for decades.”
What’s next: Veterans Affairs officials have 120 days, or until early September, to present an action plan to the White House, according to the order.
Go deeper: More about the West L.A. VA campus and how we got here.
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