Unexpected Increase in Los Angeles Homeless Veterans

VA May Lease Space to Non-Profits to Create New Housing for Homeless Veterans
NBC Los Angeles
By Patrick Healy
Friday, Sep 4, 2015

Expediting construction of housing for homeless veterans by leasing more VA property to nonprofits and government entities has been endorsed by Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Sen. Feinstein, D-CA, is working with Rep. Ted Lieu, D-LA, on legislation she said will enable a new round of "enhanced use" leases.

"What I really hope is that this facility can be a unique public-private partnership," Feinstein said during a visit Thursday to the West LA VA campus.

In recent years, the Salvation Army and the state of California have operated housing facilities there.

Some critics object that the new legislation could also enable other lessees — such as UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium for baseball — to remain on the campus, despite a 2013 court ruling they constituted improper uses because they did not directly benefit veterans health care.

Earlier this year the ruling was vacated when the parties agreed to a settlement calling for a new master plan due to be unveiled next month.

A year ago, the White House had called for a nationwide commitment to ending homelessness among veterans by the end of this year.

The most recent count in January found 4,343 of the homeless in metropolitan Los Angeles were veterans, an unexpected increase.
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