After a week full of remembrances honoring the lives of those who died in service to our nation’s freedoms, state leaders were greatly moved by the opportunity to help The Veterans Collective—led by Century Housing and U.S.Vets—welcome 87 new permanent homes for veterans in need, as the sprawling West LA Veterans Affairs campus broke ground on two more buildings.

This morning, state and community leaders picked up their shovels to break ground on West LA VA Building 158 (49 units) and Building 210 (38 units). The campus is being built in four phases. 237 homes have already been completed, and the development plan calls for more than 1,700 total homes at completion, with at least 1,200 permanent supportive units.

With $169.4 million invested in the West LA VA campus to date, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) are playing a crucial role in bringing more than 1,200 permanent homes to a population and community with urgent need.

“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. "We are committed to ensuring that every veteran has access to the supportive services and housing they deserve, and this groundbreaking marks a significant step toward that goal.

“HCD is honored to lay the groundwork to create housing stability for those who have served our nation, through investments in infrastructure and permanent supportive homes,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “What is being accomplished here for California’s deserving veterans reflects what we can do for Californians in need across this great state—building on the success modeled by Homekey—thanks to voter approval of Proposition 1.”

State funding for the campus includes $61.4 million from the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention (VHHP) program. HCD regularly consults with CalVet during the VHHP application review process, while CalVet reviews supportive service plans and disabled veteran business enterprise documentation. Additional funding includes $53.3 million from the HCD-administered No Place Like Home Program, $19.2 million from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program administered in partnership with the California Strategic Growth Council, and $15.5 million from the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program. The West LA Veterans Collective also received a $21 million allocation in the 2021 State Budget.

HCD and CalVet will both be partners in implementing voter-approved Proposition 1 in the years ahead, bringing the promise of expanded permanent supportive housing opportunities for people with behavioral health challenges statewide.

Project rendering - Building 210

Project rendering - Building 158