Thousands of Homeless Veterans To Be Housed Under New Trump Plan [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published May 11, 2025 at 6:42 AM EDT
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to turn the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Campus into the nation's largest center for homeless veteran housing and care, with the aim of accommodating 6,000 people in the coming years.
Why It Matters
According to a January 2024 point-in-time count from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), there were 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness. The estimated number of homeless former military personnel across the country has declined by 55.6 percent since 2010.
What To Know
The executive order, signed by the president on May 9, directs the VA Secretary Doug Collins to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence at the Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles Campus. The campus, which spans 388 acres, currently hosts a major regional hospital and medical offices for veterans. In a press release issued on Friday, the VA said that parts of the campus are currently being leased to a "wealthy and exclusive" private school, private companies, as well as the University of California Los Angeles' (UCLA) baseball team.
In September 2024, a district judge ruled that leases to UCLA, Brentwood School and others on the VA property are illegal as they don't principally serve veterans. According to the White House, the new center will provide homeless veterans "the care, benefits, and services to which they are entitled." The center will offer housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for reintegrating into the workforce.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/homeless-veterans-housed-trump-los-angeles-2070642
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