BGL Wins Big on Behalf of Homeless Disabled Veterans in LA

September 10, 2024

BGL lawyers Eve Hill and Jamie Strawbridge, along with a team of civil rights advocates, have helped secure a major victory on behalf of a class of unhoused veterans with disabilities in a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs for its failure to provide permanent housing and services on its 380-acre campus in West Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the homeless veterans’ capital of the United States, with about 3,000 unhoused veterans as of 2024, accounting for approximately 10 percent of the nationwide total. In addition to Eve and Jamie, the plaintiffs are represented by Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel and Roman Silberfeld of Robins Kaplan LLP.

The complaint, filed in November 2022, sought an order giving the agency six months to create over 3,500 permanent supportive housing units for veterans with disabilities on or near the West Los Angeles campus. It also sought to require the VA to ensure that portions of the campus currently leased to other entities are used primarily for veterans. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter ruling that the case would proceed in February 2024. After being approved as a class action lawsuit in May, the case went to trial in August. Judge Carter sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that the VA violated its mandate to end veteran homelessness when it leased land on its West Los Angeles campus to third-party developers.

The evolution of the case has been closely followed and reported on by major news outlets including CNN, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, NBC News, ABC, Fox, and more.

“The truth of the matter is that nothing has prevented the VA from doing its duty towards our veterans with disabilities – they have the land, they have the funds. It has been profoundly disappointing to see the extent to which the agency has simply lacked the will,” said Eve. “While there is still a long way to go to ensure the VA fully upholds its promises, I am thrilled my clients will finally get access to housing that was rightfully theirs from the very start.”

Judge Carter also said in his 124-page ruling that leases on portions of the VA property to UCLA, private schools, and businesses are illegal because they do not benefit veterans. He ordered the VA to build 750 temporary housing units within 12 to 18 months and gave the agency six months to plan another 1,800 units of permanent housing. He also ordered the agency to begin construction within 18 months on a town center and wellness area for veterans on the nearly 400-acre campus.

The lawsuit was built on promises the VA made in settling a 2011 case brought by 10 veterans with severe disabilities, where the VA agreed to provide housing and supportive services for veterans, setting a goal of 770 units by 2022. However, they failed to deliver, with only 54 housing units having been completed in 2022.

Rob Reynolds, an Iraq War veteran who advocated for the homeless veterans in the West Los Angeles area, spoke to the LA Times about how happy he was that the case was decided in the veterans’ favor.

“I felt all along if this went in front of a judge, he would see what we have all seen for years. The facts are indisputable. I think this is a great start to end veteran homelessness and get this property back to its original intended use as a soldiers’ home,” he said.

ABOUT EVE HILL:

Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve chairs the Board of Trustees for the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, a national legal advocacy organization advancing and protecting the civil rights of adults and children with mental illness. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities. Learn more about Eve here.

ABOUT JAMIE STRAWBRIDGE:

Jamie Strawbridge’s practice focuses on representing individuals with disabilities in claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act. He also has significant experience representing tenants in housing-related cases. He has represented plaintiffs in class actions challenging illegal fees assessed by landlords and lawsuits alleging sub-standard living conditions and housing discrimination. He also has defended tenants in eviction proceedings; and fought to preserve individuals’ housing-related benefits in administrative actions. Learn more about Jamie here.

ABOUT BGL:

Founded in 1982, Brown Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.