Appeals Court Halts Judge’s Order for New Veteran Housing in Los Angeles

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a stay, postponing a federal judge’s directive for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to build over 2,500 housing units for homeless veterans on its 388-acre campus in West Los Angeles. The extension of the stay into April 2025 hinders efforts for both permanent and temporary housing solutions intended to tackle the pressing issue of veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County, where more than 3,000 veterans continue to be without shelter.

Judge David O. Carter, who made the initial ruling in September, required the VA to construct 1,800 supportive housing units and 750 temporary units within 18 months, expressing discontent with the agency's failure to fulfill its responsibilities. Carter’s decision also annulled leases on campus land held by entities like oil companies and UCLA, reallocating resources to veteran housing.

The VA contested, asserting that Carter’s directives exceeded legal boundaries and would redirect essential resources away from wider initiatives aimed at addressing veteran homelessness. The Ninth Circuit's stay puts a pause on Carter's plans, awaiting a hearing in April 2025.

As the VA persists with its current initiative to construct 1,200 units under a different master plan, advocates express concern that the delay will exacerbate the situation for unhoused veterans amid Los Angeles's escalating housing crisis.

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