Feinstein Celebrates Opening of Homeless Veteran Housing at West LA VA
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“Today is a great day for the West LA VA. The opening of Building 209 has been years in the making and will provide housing for 65 homeless veterans.
“There are more homeless veterans in Los Angeles than any other city in the country, and no one who’s served this country should sleep on the street. The opening of Building 209 is an important step as we continue toward the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Los Angeles.
“I’d like to thank Secretary McDonald for his commitment to ensuring the West LA VA fulfills its core mission. He is the leader the VA sorely needs, and I’ve been impressed by his ability and dedication from day one. I look forward to working with him to complete further projects at the West LA VA, including the renovations of Buildings 205 and 208, as well as the development of a new master plan for the campus.”
In 2010, Feinstein, Representative Henry A. Waxman and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky secured a commitment from VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to allocate $20 million for Building 209’s renovation. Over the past five years, Feinstein has worked with the department and her congressional colleagues, including Waxman and Senator Barbara Boxer, to secure a total of $35.5 million for the project.
Feinstein, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also worked to include $35 million in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 for Building 205, which is the next step in the renovations at West LA VA. A further $35 million for Building 208 is included in the fiscal year 2016 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.
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