A federal judge has ordered officials to add thousands more homes for unhoused veterans in the Los Angeles area, citing what he describes as failures by the government to follow through on promises to end veteran homelessness.
In a sharply worded ruling, the judge noted that Veterans Affairs officials had vowed to follow through on a plan to end homelessness in L.A., but only if the court did not force its hand.
“After years of broken promises, corruption and neglect, it’s no surprise that veterans are unwilling to take them at their word,” U.S. District Judge David O. Carter wrote in his 125-page opinion.
It followed a weeks’ long trial, which included testimony from veterans and VA officials, as well as a tour of the campus.
More housing ordered
Carter ordered a total of 2,550 additional housing units for unhoused veterans — including 750 temporary homes with supportive services within 18 months at the sprawling West L.A. Veterans Affairs campus, and construction of additional 1,500 permanent homes with services at the campus within the next six years.
The judge said he could adjust those numbers in the future to bring them closer to “the actual need for housing.”
Lease deals banned
Carter ruled against a series of private leases on the West L.A. campus, ruling that VA officials “are prohibited from executing and maintaining any land use agreement, including those identified by this Order, that does not principally benefit veterans and their families pursuant.”
He banned the VA from entering new leases with the private Brentwood School (whose athletic facilities are on the campus), Safety Park (which operates two parking lots on the campus), Bridgeland Resources (while has an oil drill on the campus), and UCLA (whose baseball stadium is on the land).
Carter wrote that he will decide the specifics of their departures from the campus after a hearing set for Sept. 25.
Background on the case
The lawsuit was filed in November 2022 on behalf of unhoused veterans with disabilities. It came after the VA got years behind schedule in following through on a previous settlement deal from 2015 to build more housing at the campus.
What Judge Carter had to say
VA officials bowed to wealthy neighbors: Noting that VA officials had entered into lucrative land deals for portions of the property, Carter wrote that instead of serving veterans, "the West LA VA has served its wealthy and powerful neighbors, bowing to private interests backed by lobbyists and engaging in back-room deals and fraud.”
A contrast with funding for war: Carter, a Marine Corps veteran who was so injured in a Vietnam War battle that he was put in a body bag, said the federal government has failed those who served: “Veterans have seen the government swiftly deploy its resources to send them into conflict, then claim an inability to overcome funding shortfalls and administrative hurdles when they need shelter and housing back at home.”
Judge cites corruption: “Over the past five decades, the West LA VA has been infected by bribery, corruption, and the influence of the powerful and their lobbyists, and enabled by a major educational institution in excluding veterans’ input about their own lands,” the judge wrote.
Among other things, he pointed to a scandal in which a private parking lot operator pleaded guilty to bribing a VA official and stealing $13 million in connection with a lease at the campus.
Failed promises: Carter faulted the current and previous two presidential administrations for not following through on promises to end veteran homelessness. He wrote: “In the years since 2011, the Obama administration, the Trump administration, and the Biden administration have each promised that they would act swiftly to eradicate veteran homelessness in America. Yet, today, approximately 3,000 homeless veterans live in the Los Angeles area alone.”
What the parties had to say
Plaintiffs' response: Mark Rosenbaum, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told LAist the ruling is “an enormous victory” for unhoused veterans. He said the judge, through his ruling, is saying “no veteran who served this country should be on the streets of Los Angeles or, frankly, the streets of this nation.”
“It’s the end of veteran homelessness,” Rosenbaum said.
VA response: VA officials had no comment about the ruling, but said in a statement they “will continue to do everything in our power to end Veteran homelessness.” The statement, from the press secretary for national VA Secretary Denis McDonough, cited figures showing a 23% drop in veteran homelessness in L.A. from 2023 to 2024.
“VA is committed to providing permanent supportive housing to homeless Veterans on the grounds of the West LA Campus as quickly as possible,” the statement added.
In response to a question from LAist, L.A.-area VA spokesperson Damian McGee said there was no information on whether the agency would appeal the ruling.
