The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced a legal settlement Wednesday that will transform its sprawling West Los Angeles campus into a center of permanent housing for homeless veterans and curtail the controversial practice of leasing VA facilities to corporations and other non-government entities.
Under the agreement, the VA will appoint by October a national homelessness expert to develop a master plan for how best to use the 387-acre property. Options could include renovating existing VA buildings and constructing new facilities for transitional housing and permanent housing with drug treatment, mental health counseling and other supportive services.
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FOR THE RECORD:
VA property lawsuit: In the Jan. 29 California section, an article about a legal settlement over the use of the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles said that by October, a homelessness expert would be hired to develop a master plan for the property. The October deadline is for completing the master plan, not for the appointment of an expert.
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The VA and its legal opponents must also create a written plan by Feb. 13 to end homelessness among veterans in Greater Los Angeles. That plan, the VA said, would focus particularly on veterans who are chronically homeless, female, aging and severely disabled.
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