Legion to help restore mission of West LA campus

The American Legion testified to Congress on Feb. 10 that it “supports a publicly transparent, Enhanced-Use Leasing program (for the Department of Veterans Affairs) and believes strongly that the leasing agreements must conform to priority services that meet the needs of the veterans community.”

Ed Lilley, the Legion’s assistant director of health, testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations at a hearing that examined deficiencies in VA’s land-use agreements with the private sector – specifically in the case of its campus in West Los Angeles.

Originally intended to serve as a home for disabled veterans, the West LA campus has leased its land to several private businesses while turning away veterans in need. The American Legion has protested this misuse of VA property since the 1980s.

“We have grimaced for many years over the irony of a once thriving veterans’ campus surrounded by the largest population of homeless veterans in America,” Lilley told the subcommittee. He noted The American Legion was relieved to hear of VA’s recent agreement with attorneys representing homeless veterans, which paved the way for VA to produce a master plan that will return the West LA campus to its original mission.

“The American Legion expects to be actively involved in providing input to the master plan and will continue monitoring West LA to ensure the correct changes are made,” Lilley said.

To eliminate future misuse of VA property, the Legion is urging Congress by resolution to restrict the department’s Enhanced-Use Lease capabilities to a priority list of services that will meet the needs of the veterans community.

The American Legion opposes any VA leasing that does not specifically provide obvious and permanent benefits, resources or services to the veterans community.

To read the Legion’s written testimony, click here.