The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles courtesy of its website

BRENTWOOD—On Tuesday, June 21, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles announced that it was moving forward with a plan to utilize more of its Brentwood campus for use as housing by disabled veterans.

Specifically, the VA Greater Los Angeles plans to expand its homeless program through the renovation of Buildings 205, 208 and 209 that will help in the long-term therapeutic and supportive programs for the most chronically ill veterans. The WLA campus is comprised of 104 buildings.

Anywhere from 603 to 813 new beds will be offered to the 530,000 veterans in Greater Los Angeles as a result of the renovation, not to mention the 1,480 beds currently offered.

“This Master Plan builds on VA’s progress to end Veteran homelessness and ensures that land use at West Los Angeles will continue to put the needs of Veterans first – now and into the future,” said GLA Director Donna M. Beiter in a press release. The plan is to end veteran homelessness by 2015.

“The West Los Angeles campus is a sacred and peaceful place for Veterans to heal, and VA is committed to ensuring Veterans and their families receive the care and benefits they have earned,” Beiter said.

VA has worked on this Master Plan for the past two years under the leadership of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. A draft of the plan was made available to the public in January and it has now been finalized.

When funding becomes available, the plan would also include construction of an inpatient tower for expanded clinical use, in addition to the relocation of the VA regional office and research activities to one central location where disabled veterans would be able to benefit from all available services. The Los Angeles National Cemetery would also be expanded to the WLA campus.

Announcement of the homeless program expansion comes two weeks after the American Civil Liberties Union filed for a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the national VA on behalf of four disabled homeless veterans and the descendant of one of the original owners of the 387-foot parcel.

The suit alleges misuse of the land that was donated via a grant deed in 1888 by Arcadia Bandini de Baker and Sen. John Percival Jones to the VA's predecessor, The National Home, specifying that it be used as housing for disabled veterans. Thirty percent of the land parcel is currently leased to businesses that do not offer veteran-related services.

Renewal of 21 agreements for use of the land will be evaluated upon expiration to ensure that it directly benefits veterans, fulfills the VA’s mandate to end homelessness and that is it compatible with the immediate community.

VA is expanding housing for homeless veterans in partnership with New Directions, Inc. and The Salvation Army.

ACLU of Southern California had not provided a comment on the matter as of press time.

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