Appeals Court Upholds Federal Order to Develop Housing on VA West Los Angeles Campus

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a federal judge’s order requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to build over 2,500 housing units on its West Los Angeles campus. This decision supports veterans’ claims that the VA discriminated by failing to provide adequate housing on the 388-acre property.

A three-judge panel upheld most of U.S. District Judge David O. Carter’s ruling, ordering the VA to construct 1,800 permanent and 750 temporary housing units for veterans. The court rejected the VA’s argument that veterans could not sue due to the Veterans Judicial Review Act, clarifying the case targeted housing discrimination rather than benefits decisions.

Circuit Judge Ana de Alba emphasized the VA’s failure to honor President Lincoln’s promise to care for veterans, highlighting that the land intended for veteran care had been leased to commercial interests with limited veteran benefit. “Scores of unhoused veterans survive in and around Los Angeles despite acres of VA land dedicated for their care,” she wrote.

The ruling invalidated multiple leases on the campus, including that of the Brentwood School, which occupies 22 acres for athletic use. However, the court reinstated UCLA’s lease of part of the campus for Jackie Robinson Stadium, rejecting veterans’ argument that this violated the terms of the original property deed and the 2016 West Los Angeles Leasing Act.

Veterans’ advocates hailed the decision as historic. Mark Rosenbaum, lead attorney from Public Counsel, called it “the most consequential case for veterans in the history of the country,” hoping it signals an end to veteran homelessness nationwide. Iraq War veteran Rob Reynolds added, “There should never have needed to be a lawsuit to ensure veterans access housing and services on the VA campus.”

The court remanded the case to Judge Carter to oversee implementation. Carter had previously ordered modular housing units to be installed on the campus, but that order was stayed during the appeal. The VA now faces a clear mandate to prioritize construction for veterans’ housing as intended under federal directives.

This ruling reinforces the importance of honoring commitments to disabled and unhoused veterans. It may open the door for similar lawsuits elsewhere, potentially reshaping how federal land for veterans is managed nationwide.