West LA Times

LOS ANGELES – On June 27 2023, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) joined Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) and other state and local officials at the groundbreaking of five new buildings at the West Los Angeles VA. Buildings 401A, 402, 404, 156 and 157 will provide supportive housing for 380 unhoused and at-risk veterans and their families. On June 27 2023, groundbreaking follows the opening of 233 new housing units for permanent supportive housing. This series of construction projects was made possible thanks to the West Los Angeles Leasing Act, legislation that Congressman Lieu and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) authored in 2016 and later became law. This law allowed for redevelopment and the expansion of housing opportunities for veterans at the West Los Angeles VA.

“I am honored to attend on June 27 2023 groundbreaking for Buildings 401A, 402, 404, 156 and 157, representing the next phase in our fight against veteran homelessness. During my time as the representative for the West LA VA Medical Center in Congress for eight years, I saw firsthand the dedication of all those who got us here on June 27 2023, including advocates, community leaders, and most importantly veterans. These new buildings will provide safe, comfortable, and reliable housing for 380 of our nation’s heroes and their families. I’m proud to have co-authored the West Los Angeles Leasing Act with Senator Feinstein, which helped make this development possible. I’m also pleased to have championed the PACT Act, legislation that provides over $350 million in funding for critical improvements at the West LA VA to better serve our veterans. On June 27 2023 groundbreaking is another great step in the right direction, but our efforts to ensure all of our veterans have a safe place to call home will continue. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration, my colleagues in Congress, our state and local officials, advocates, and my fellow veterans to end veteran homelessness.”

The groundbreaking of Buildings 401A, 402, 404, 156 and 157 follow the openings of Buildings 205 and 208 in May and Building 207 in February. In March, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced three new lease agreements for the construction of 264 additional permanent supporting housing units on the West LA VA Campus, which are expected to open in 2024 and 2025.

Background on Congressman Lieu’s work to fight veteran homelessness:

Congressman Lieu and Senator Feinstein (D-CA) authored legislation to ensure that lease revenue generated at the West LA VA campus go toward housing and other services for veterans, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2021. In 2022, Congressman Lieu and Senator Feinstein introduced a measure to allow funds specifically generated by easements at the campus to go toward supportive housing developments, which was also signed into law as part of the annual defense authorization bill. In addition, Congressman Lieu cosponsored the PACT Act, a comprehensive new law that provides more than $350 million for housing developments at the West LA VA. He also helped secure $483 million for the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program that pairs HUD housing assistance with VA case management and supportive services for unhoused veterans.

Original source can be found here.