Veterans sue for homeless housing in West LA

A new lawsuit seeks to repurpose part of the 388-acre Veterans Affairs campus in West L.A. into housing for homeless vets.

The suit, earlier reported on by the L.A. Times, was filed in federal court earlier this month. It comes from 14 veterans who are represented by homeless-oriented nonprofits and two private law firms and demands a speedier resolution to the homelessness crisis that’s plaguing thousands of Southern California veterans. For years, the area around the sprawling West L.A. VA campus in Brentwood had been occupied by the so-called Veterans Row encampment, which emerged as one of several homelessness flashpoints around the city until it was cleared last year.

“The phrase ‘homeless veteran’ should be an American oxymoron,” the suit states. “But this is the cruel truth — the federal government consistently refuses to keep its word and take meaningful actions to bring the abomination of veteran homelessness to an end.”

The suit, filed against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, specifically seeks an order requiring the federal agency to build 1,200 permanent homes for veterans within six months, lease 2,500 nearby apartment units and also provide supportive services.

In a statement, the VA declined to comment on the suit but defended its veteran housing efforts, pointing out that it has provided more than 950 permanent housing placements to veterans in L.A. this year, the Times reported.

— Trevor Bach

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