Los Angeles is gearing up to give back to its veterans, with a groundbreaking ceremony marking a new chapter for the West LA Veterans Affairs campus, which will provide 87 additional permanent supportive homes for those who have served our nation, according to a California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) press release.
The initiative is an expansion to the campus, which has already welcomed 237 veterans into its embrace, as state funds have poured in to ensure its success with an investment totaling $169.4 million thus far; the development is on a steady path, with plans to house thousands with at least 1,200 permanent supportive units upon its full completion. In statements obtained by HCD Media, leaders from the state housing and veterans departments expressed their dedication to supporting those who wore the uniform, hailing the project as a tribute to their service and a model for addressing veteran homelessness across California.
“The transformation of the West LA VA campus is a testament to what we can achieve through dedicated collaboration and commitment to addressing the needs of our veteran community," said CalVet Secretary Lindsey Sin in the press release, further highlighting the state's mission to provide adequate housing and support for veterans. Gustavo Velasquez, HCD Director, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the honor of laying the groundwork for housing stability for veterans, a commitment backed by voter-approved Proposition 1, as per the release.
New buildings, 158 and 210, will soon rise from the dirt with shovels already hitting the ground, adding to the campus's growing infrastructure that's fueled by various sources of funding including $61.4 million from the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention program, the No Place Like Home Program pitching in with $53.3 million, and a significant $21 million slice allocated in the 2021 State Budget; these figures represent combined efforts to combat veteran homelessness, a struggle that persists even as this project embarks on a lofty quest aimed at bringing substantial relief.
For more information, HCD Media's Deputy Director of Communications Pablo Espinoza remains a contact point, as the project continues to unfold under the watchful eyes of a community committed to its promises of support, gratitude, and a place to call home for those who have risked it all.
