“Our veterans need beds and care, not words,” ACLU Attorney David Sapp said
While WLA VA officials say in the plan that they offer thousands of beds to veterans throughout Los Angeles county, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint claiming that homeless veterans are entitled to supportive housing on the WLA campus, which plaintiffs say they need so that their medical treatment can be effective.
It's like having the services offered at the top floor of a tall building, and the elevator only goes up to the third floor, and the patient is in a wheelchair, he said, explaining that these veterans need housing, counseling and health services close to each other.
And the Master Plan itself, though repeating a long-standing commitment to care for all veterans, is long on proposals, but short on concrete commitments, including timelines, Sapp said
“The only firm commitment from the VA was to private companies and entities currently using the land,” said Sapp. The WLA VA leases portions of its grounds to various outside operations, including a laundry and a car rental agency – a practice that is attacked by the ACLU lawsuit which claims that the rentals are a violation of the 1888 grant that called for the grounds to be used for a soldier's home.
To review the final draft of the Master Plan and statements by the WLA VA, go to its website.
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