Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla and Congressman Ted Lieu (all D-Calif.) today called on Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to support the West Los Angeles VA Campus in its efforts to provide supportive housing for homeless veterans.

            “The West LA VA Campus, encompassing 388 acres deeded to the federal government in 1887, represents one of the best and most immediate opportunities to provide a stable home for homeless veterans in Southern California,” wrote the members.

            The members continued: “We were pleased to hear during your confirmation hearing that you are committed to carrying out President Biden’s goal of ending veteran homelessness. The West LA VA Campus offers an immediate opportunity to make an impact in this respect. We invite you to visit the West LA VA Campus at your convenience to see firsthand the unique opportunity this campus represents to help improve the lives of veterans.”

            Full text of the letter follows:

February 26, 2021

The Honorable Denis McDonough

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue NW

Washington, D.C., 20420

Dear Secretary McDonough:

            Congratulations on your recent confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Your continued commitment to public service is truly commendable, and we look forward to working with you and President Biden to help serve those who have served our nation. We write today to request your personal attention and support as we work to address the veteran homelessness crisis in Southern California, specifically by supporting the construction of supportive housing on the West Los Angeles VA Campus.

            The West LA VA Campus, encompassing 388 acres deeded to the federal government in 1887, represents one of the best and most immediate opportunities to provide a stable home for homeless veterans in Southern California. The 2016 Draft Master Plan included plans to build at least 1,200 units of supportive housing on campus, and we continue to strongly support its implementation. More than 3,900 veterans experience homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles County alone, representing nearly 10 percent of the nation’s homeless veteran population. That number is even higher when homeless veterans living in other counties in the West LA VA service area are taken into account.

            One immediate concern is the VA’s recent decision to significantly reduce the scope of funding for seismic retrofits of 12 buildings on campus, some of which will be converted into housing. We are concerned that this reduction in scope could further delay implementation of the Master Plan. Our offices have discussed this issue with West LA VA leadership and ask that you review the current situation.

            We were pleased to hear during your confirmation hearing that you are committed to carrying out President Biden’s goal of ending veteran homelessness. The West LA VA Campus offers an immediate opportunity to make an impact in this respect. We invite you to visit the West LA VA Campus at your convenience to see firsthand the unique opportunity this campus represents to help improve the lives of veterans. Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein

United States Senator

Ted Lieu

United States Representative

Alex Padilla

United States Senator