President Trump’s executive order calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to house thousands of homeless veterans on its West Los Angeles campus by the end of his term promises the relief veterans have been seeking in federal court for more than a decade.
But the May 9 order gave no insight into how the president planned to overcome hurdles that have long stymied the dream of a vibrant veteran community on the 388-acre property, which was donated to the U.S. government in 1888 as a home for disabled soldiers.
Trump’s order called for establishing a National Center for Warrior Independence — with the capacity to house about 6,000 — “in which homeless veterans in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and around the nation can seek and receive the care, benefits, and services to which they are entitled.”
Veterans and their advocates, who have been critical of the VA’s management of the grounds, welcomed the announcement as a presidential endorsement of their cause, but generally reserved judgment over what they expect it to accomplish. Some were openly skeptical.
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