Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
VA sets deadlines for veteran housing plan for West LA campus
Building 205, pictured here, sits vacant. It was designated as future housing for disabled homeless veterans in 2007.
(
Nancy Pastor for NPR
)
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Friday it will find housing for 650 veterans, the first details of a plan to expand services at the agency's West Los Angeles campus.
The agency said it will start hosting town hall meetings in L.A. for service providers and government agencies and identify legislation needed to revamp the West L.A. campus - as well as find housing for 650 vets - all within the next 100 days.
“This plan demonstrates what can be accomplished for our Nation’s veterans when we come together as a community – everyone working together toward the higher goal,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald said in a statement. “This is an important first step toward ending Veteran homelessness in Greater L.A. and a model of what we will do across the country.”
The plan is the first step by the V.A. after settling a lawsuit accusing the agency of mismanaging federal land. Officials are pledging to provide housing and services on the campus itself and expand veterans' access to housing and resources in other parts of Los Angeles.
Support for LAist comes from
"There's a sense of urgency and concrete steps that will be put in place over the next few months," said Gary Blasi, special counsel at Public Counsel’s Opportunity Under Law initiative and one of the attorneys on the case. "It's just not business as usual anymore."
The 388-acre West L.A. property, which Blasi said was most recently valued at $5 billion, was donated to the V.A. in the 1800s with the understanding it be used to serve veterans. Currently, some temporary housing does exist on the campus, but it's unclear how much and what of it is being utilized, Blasi said.
A team from the V.A. is expected to travel to L.A. Tuesday to figure out which resources already exist on the campus.
Blasi said the campus has been woefully underutilized as a space for veterans.
Areas of the property have been leased out to private companies and hosted everything from parking lots to baseball facilities. That was the basis of the suit, filed in 2011, by a group of homeless veterans and the ACLU.
Overhauling the West L.A. campus comes at a time of renewed focus on veterans who have fallen through the cracks. President Barack Obama has set a goal of finding housing for all homeless veterans by the end of 2015. V.A. officials have vowed to meet that goal.
There are currently about 4,000 homeless veterans in Los Angeles.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist