REP LIEU APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF HIS WEST LA VA CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT ACT

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) applauded House passage of his bill, H.R. 711, the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021. This legislation will help the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) address veteran homelessness in the Los Angeles area. In addition, it helps VA use already available funding streams for certain homeless veteran programs, thus reducing the need for taxpayer funds.

In 2016, Congress passed the Rep. Lieu's West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016, a law intended to clean up the campus and end most non-veteranrelated leases. The law also helped spur the redevelopment of the VA. The VA is now implementing a plan to build at least 1,200 new subsidized apartments, which is composed of 23 projects that range from renovating existing structures to developing and building new units. The West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021 ensures that funds recouped following execution of 2016 bill goes directly back to the West LA VA.

"The bill that just passed builds on the progress we've made improving the West LA VA and ensures that local veterans have access to the resources to which they're entitled. It also allows the West LA VA to use funds to construct housing for our nation's heroes. The federal government has jurisdiction over veterans who are homeless. This bill will help the West LA VA with efforts to support homeless veterans and provide them with shelter. I want to thank my colleagues on the House Veterans Affairs Committee for their support, including Chairman Takano, who has been a tireless champion for our nation's veterans and specifically veterans in Los Angeles. We are now one step closer to giving the VA the legal authorities it needs to help our veterans."

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