Unhoused veterans in L.A. won a major legal victory Thursday when a judge rejected all of the federal government’s efforts to toss out a lawsuit that seeks to require Veterans Affairs officials to house veterans with disabilities.
The ruling will not immediately affect housing availability for L.A. veterans. But it clears a major legal hurdle for the judge to declare that the VA is required to house veterans in L.A. who need housing in order to access treatment for their disabilities.
That federal judge, David O. Carter, says he will now be moving the case forward quickly.
His new ruling significantly ramps up pressure on the federal government to house veterans in L.A., whether through a settlement deal, a possible injunction or trial next year.