Federal judge instructs the VA to build more housing units for homeless veterans in Los Angeles

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Los Angeles to construct thousands of more housing units to house homeless veterans, ruling that the VA has not done enough to take care of its homeless population.

A group of disabled and homeless veterans in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against the VA in 2022. The lawsuit centered on the lack of housing on the VA's nearly 400-acre lot, which was founded in the 1880s as a home for disabled service members, according to NBC News.

U.S. District Judge David Carter said the department needed to fix the housing issue by building 750 temporary housing units in the next 12 to 18 months, and then create another plan six months later to build 1,800 permanent units.

Carter also ruled that it was illegal for the VA to lease portions of its property to private schools, UCLA, and businesses, because the leases do not benefit veterans.

"Each administration since 2011 has been warned — by the VA’s own Office of the Inspector General, federal courts, and veterans — that they were not doing enough to house veterans in Los Angeles," Carter wrote in his 124-page ruling. “Despite these warnings, the VA has not made good on its promise to build housing for veterans. The cost of the VA’s inaction is veterans’ lives.”

Carter also instructed the VA to start building a town center and wellness area on the property in the next 18 months.

The VA acknowledged the order in a statement, and said it was committed to building the housing units "as quickly as possible."

"While we do not comment on ongoing litigation, we at VA are carefully reviewing the Court’s decision and will continue to do everything in our power to end Veteran homelessness — both in Los Angeles and across America," the VA said.

There are currently just 233 housing units on the VA's campus, most of which are already leased out. More units are being constructed, but have been delayed by red tape, per CNN. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.