President Trump calls for new national center to house homeless vets in West LA

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to establish a national center on the West Los Angeles VA campus to house and provide services to homeless veterans – while redirecting funds spent on “housing or other services for illegal aliens” to pay for the project.

The order, issued on Friday, May 9, sets a goal of housing up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the National Center for Warrior Independence, as the facility will be called, by Jan. 1, 2028, and will help veterans access housing options, substance abuse or addiction treatments, and other services to promote self-sufficiency.

“Our Nation’s security, prosperity, and freedom would not be possible without our veterans. Many service members paid the ultimate sacrifice.  Many others bear visible and invisible wounds from their service. Too many veterans are homeless in America. Each veteran deserves our gratitude,” Trump wrote in his executive order.

In 2024, Los Angeles had approximately 3,000 homeless veterans – the most of any city in the U.S. – and accounted for roughly 10% of all homeless veterans in the country, according to the Trump administration.

Following the signing of the executive order, The Veterans Collective, which has a supportive housing building for senior veterans on the West LA VA campus, applauded the president’s action.

“We support any initiative that will provide safe and supportive housing for veterans who bravely served our country. We agree with the White House: our heroes deserve better,” the nonprofit said in a statement.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has also long advocated for greater support for homeless veterans.

Bass’ office did not respond to a request for comment about Trump’s directive, in his executive order, for the secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that funds “that may have been spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens” be redirected to build and maintain the National Center for Warrior Independence.

Other L.A. city and county officials whom Southern California News Group reached out also did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Friday afternoon.