Judge Orders VA to Build Housing for Homeless Veterans as Quickly as Possible

Housing Units for Veterans Are Part of a Larger Effort To Address Homelessness.

U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter has ordered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to install modular housing units in the parking lot of UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Baseball Stadium, to provide temporary housing for homeless veterans, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Judge Carter issued the order on October 18 instructing the VA to select a vendor within a week and finalize a contract within three weeks. The plan calls for 32 modular units to be placed in the parking lot, which Carter ordered closed in September. Additional units will be installed on other parts of the VA’s West Los Angeles campus.

The ruling follows a push by Carter to create temporary housing for veterans before the rainy season begins. Initially, the judge called for the housing to be built in 90 days, a timeline VA officials argued was too short. Carter relaxed the timeline slightly after officials agreed to the project but explained the logistical challenges of contracting, site development, and installation.

The court’s order is part of a broader initiative by Carter to create up to 750 temporary housing units within 18 months on the VA campus, with an additional 1,800 permanent units to be completed over the next six years. The effort comes after a September ruling in a lawsuit in which Carter nullified leases of VA land to private entities, including UCLA and the Brentwood School since he ruled that the leases did not serve the original purpose of the West Los Angeles VA campus, which is to house veterans. 

The lawsuit, brought by veterans’ groups and represented by Public Counsel, the Inner City Law Center, and private law firms, alleges that the VA has neglected its duty to provide housing for disabled and homeless veterans. In response, Carter has held several hearings to address the VA’s obligations and the future of the campus.

During the hearings, developers Steve Soboroff and Randy Johnson, who were initially expert witnesses for the plaintiffs, were drafted by the judge to help design the modular housing plan. They proposed placing 32 units in the UCLA parking lot and 24 more on a nearby parcel owned by the National Cemetery Administration.

The plan to build modular housing faced some objections. UCLA, which holds a lease for Jackie Robinson Stadium, has filed an appeal, arguing against the use of the stadium’s parking lot as has another unnamed leaseholder. Justice Department attorney Brad Rosenberg noted that the decision to appeal Carter’s order would be made by the Office of General Counsel.

The VA agreed to move forward with Carter’s plan while reserving the right to appeal but is required to deliver pricing and specifications for the units by October 22. It is estimated that the cost of each unit, including transportation and site development is $130,000. Carter’s ruling is part of his ongoing effort to address homelessness among veterans in Los Angeles, where thousands live without stable housing. He has made it clear that he expects swift action, stating, “If I can get 60 or 70 veterans … out of a cardboard box before the rain comes, and this is a fast-track way to do it, where this lot is already paved, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting we could do.”