In 1888, Senator John P. Jones and Arcadia B. De Baker donated 300 acres of land establishing the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. This permanent land-use deed was granted under the condition that it be used permanently for the home to house disabled veterans. In 2011, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Veteran’s Administration for failure to maintain housing for disabled veterans on the property, instead leasing the property to a private school for athletic facilities, UCLA for a baseball field, and a private energy company for oil drilling.

This lawsuit concluded with a “good faith agreement” coined the VA’s “Master Plan”. However, nearly a decade after the VA’s plan was released, the VA has failed to deliver on promises to build 1,200 affordable apartments for disabled veterans and continues to exploit the land usage through private leasing. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County has long had the country’s highest number of homeless veterans at nearly 4000.

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States urges Congress to impose an immediate moratorium on the master plan, halting all construction activities by the principal developers and third-party-related contract operations and hold the VA accountable for upholding the integrity of the original deeds and the dignity and well-being of our veterans. We implore Congress to act swiftly and decisively to protect those who have served our nation with honor.