Gov. Schwarzenegger Celebrates Grand Opening of West Los Angeles Veterans Home

Los Angeles, CA – June 15, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Continuing his commitment to California’s veterans, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) to celebrate the dedication and grand opening of the California Veterans Home, West Los Angeles (CVH-West Los Angeles), the newest state home which will provide housing and long-term care for many of California’s veterans.

“It’s an honor to be here today to dedicate and celebrate the sixth veterans home in the state of California. This will be a place where our veterans can be comfortable and honored, the least they deserve for serving our country in uniform,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I am very proud of the work my Administration has done on behalf of our military men and women and I promise that we will continue to do everything in our power to make sure all our veterans, young and old, are treated with the respect and dignity they have earned.”

CVH-West Los Angeles will serve 396 aged and disabled veterans who served honorably in the military with all levels of licensed care. Following a period of review, licensing and training, veterans will be able to move into the new home this fall.

“Today’s grand-opening and dedication ceremony demonstrated the huge commitment and countless hours of hard work on the part of CalVet and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, who deeded 17 acres of property to the state in order to provide continuity of care for California’s deserving veterans,” said Secretary Brautigan. “Volunteers from the community, CalVet and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs staff were determined to put together a ceremony worthy of the Veterans Home, our veterans and the state of California. This unique and historic grand opening of the 396-bed California Veterans Home in West Los Angeles is also the result of determined veterans, legislators, and community members who were resolved to have this veterans home built right here in West Los Angeles.”

CVH-West Los Angeles, together with the Veterans Home of California in Ventura and the William J. “Pete” Knight Veterans Home of California in Lancaster make up the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Homes of California project, the largest investment in state history for new veterans homes. The three homes combined will provide housing and long-term care for more than 500 veterans. CVH-West Los Angeles is located at 800 Bringham Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90049, on the property of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System campus.

The total cost of the CVH-West Los Angeles project was approximately $253 million. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ contributed approximately $142 million and $111 million came from state General Obligation Bonds and Lease Revenue Bonds.

CDVA currently operates three other state veterans homes located in Yountville, Chula Vista and Barstow. Additionally, the Governor and CDVA last month broke ground on the construction of two additional veterans homes, the California Veterans Home, Fresno and the California Veterans Home, Redding. Once these projects are completed, the state will have nearly doubled its capacity for providing long-term care for elderly and disabled veterans.

Governor Schwarzenegger has committed and targeted an unprecedented amount of resources and services to California’s 2.1 million veterans. Some examples include:

• Launching Operation Welcome Home, a first-in-the-nation, statewide campaign to connect every returning veteran with the services they need to transition successfully from the battlefront to the home front
• Expanding civil service preference points for veterans looking for jobs in state service
• Increasing higher education coordination with the “Troops to College” initiative
• Targeting millions of dollars in grants to help newly discharged veterans find jobs
• Connecting thousands of veterans to employers through the “Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet” job fairs
• Expanding home ownership opportunities to all veterans through the CalVet Home Loan Program