Ted Lieu: More veteran housing is opening at the West LA VA. It’s been a long time coming.

In 2015, the year I was sworn into Congress, the West LA VA was a mess. Because of mismanagement and neglect, significant portions of the campus had been leased out to private enterprises that were doing anything but serving veterans. Medical care did not meet expectations for excellence. Large chunks of the land were being used for parking lots, a parrot sanctuary, a rental car company, and other purposes that did not principally benefit veterans.

The sprawling 387-acre West LA VA campus had been donated to the federal government in 1887 and was previously a home for veterans dating back to the Spanish-American war. Much of the buildings that had housed WWII and Vietnam veterans fell into disrepair following the Sylmar earthquake in 1971. By the time I arrived in Congress, it was unacceptable that there was no place to house veterans, when over 3,000 were homeless in Los Angeles County alone.

Veterans, community leaders, and activists all agreed: the West LA VA was not meeting the needs of veterans. We needed a change. Through the tireless work of many people, including advocacy groups, terrific lawyers and local veterans, we were able to carve out a plan to change course for the West LA VA and the veterans it serves. As a veteran, I’m keenly aware of the sacrifices our service members make. They put their lives on the line to keep us safe. We owe it to them and their families to ensure they’re properly cared for when they return home. I am happy to say that a lot has changed between then and now.

Now, we are just a few days out from the grand opening of two new buildings on campus that will provide 120 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans and their families. These units will be “move-in ready,” fully furnished, and will have access to a communal space, fitness room, computer room, and other amenities.

This comes just a few months after the opening of another building in February, which added 59 new housing units for homeless veterans. It took longer than we expected but momentum is on our side. The VA has announced three additional lease agreements for the development of 264 more units expected to open in 2024 and 2025.

This progress was made possible by the passage of the West Los Angeles Leasing Act, which spurred redevelopment of the property. The bill, which Senator Dianne Feinstein and I wrote, was the first step in a long journey to make sure the property was helping veterans, especially homeless ones. Now, the VA is implementing a plan to build at least 1,200 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans.

But the work didn’t stop there. We wanted to make sure the West LA VA had access to the funds generated from the remaining leases. Under current law, the money from the West LA VA leases was going to the Treasury instead of the West LA VA. That’s why Sen. Dianne Feinstein and I introduced the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act, a bill to ensure lease revenue generated at the West LA VA campus goes directly toward building housing and providing other services for veterans. President Biden signed that legislation into law in 2021.

It’s been a long and winding road to get to this point and it represents meaningful progress in our fight to end veteran homelessness in LA County. I’m grateful to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Mayor Karen Bass, Congressman Brad Sherman and all our local partners who’ve all made tackling veteran homelessness a top priority in our community.

This week we move closer to bringing back the West LA VA property to its founding mission: to serve and house veterans in need. Our actions to revitalize the campus are just the beginning. With a focus on putting veterans’ needs first, we can and will continue to bring the West LA VA back to what it was originally intended to be: a haven for our nation’s heroes.

Ted Lieu represents the 36th congressional district.