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“Expanding the Mission: The Future of the National Center for Warrior Independence in West LA”

House Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing

May 13, 2026 (recording here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel One):

• The Honorable John J. Bartrum: Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs

• Dr. Thomas J. O’Toole: Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health Clinical Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs

• Mr. Brett Simms: Executive Director, Office of Asset Management, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• Ms. Danielle Runyan: Senior Counsel to the Secretary, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Witnesses & Written Testimony (linked) (Panel Two):

• Dr. Nelson SooHoo: Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education at the David Geffen School of Medicine, Designated Institutional Official for UCLA Health System

• Ms. Tess Banko: Project Director at the Veterans Collective, U.S. VETS

• Mr. Richard Valdez: Past State Commander, Disabled American Veterans – Department of California

• Mr. Jim Zenner: Executive Director, Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veteran Affairs

TOP-LINES TO SHOW YOU ARE IN THE KNOW

1. Members from both parties agreed that public safety on the West LA VA campus has become a major concern, with repeated discussions about drug activity, staffing shortages, and gaps in campus policing.

2. Several lawmakers pressed the VA over its use of non-disclosure agreements tied to the West LA redevelopment effort, arguing that veterans, Congress, and the public deserve more transparency.

3. Witnesses repeatedly stated that housing alone will not solve veteran homelessness without strong wraparound services, including mental health care, case management, substance abuse treatment, and employment support.

4. UCLA officials defended the university’s long-standing partnership with the West LA VA, highlighting its role in veteran health care, physician training, PTSD treatment, and traumatic brain injury programs.

5. Multiple witnesses stressed that the long-term success of the National Center for Warrior Independence will depend on sustained funding, affordable housing, public safety improvements, and coordination across future administrations.

PARTY LINE PERSPECTIVES (THOUGH THIS ONE WAS FAIRLY BIPARTISAN)

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Mike Bost stated that the hearing would examine the future of the West LA VA campus and whether existing agreements and contracts were truly benefiting veterans. He argued that prior administrations had allowed misuse of the property, including leases that benefited private interests, while homeless veterans lacked adequate services. The Chairman praised the Trump administration and VA Secretary Doug Collins for reevaluating existing agreements and attempting to restore accountability and veteran-focused use of the land. He also underlined that Congress must ensure proper authorization, transparency, and oversight for any future initiatives on campus.

• Ranking Member Mark Takano criticized the lack of transparency surrounding plans for the West LA campus. He warned that without significant reforms and supportive services, the campus risked becoming an expanded version of Skid Row and described widespread safety, housing, and substance abuse issues affecting veterans on the property. The Ranking Member shared multiple stories from veterans living on the campus to illustrate concerns about poor housing conditions, drug activity, insufficient security, and lack of responsive support from the VA. He concluded that while he was not opposed to the goals of President Trump’s executive order, the VA lacked a comprehensive and transparent strategy to properly serve the large number of veterans expected to live there.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL ONE)

• Ms. Danielle Runyan testified that the Trump administration was working to fulfill the original purpose of the West Los Angeles campus by creating the National Center for Warrior Independence. She explained that the campus had historically been mismanaged and that Inspector General (IG) reports found several land agreements violated federal law and failed to benefit veterans. Ms. Runyan reported that the VA had terminated several leases and licenses that underpaid the government and did not meaningfully serve veterans, including agreements involving private schools and oil operations. She also illustrated ongoing efforts to expand housing capacity, improve safety measures, and increase supportive services for veterans living on the campus.

• Chairman Bost questioned whether the VA considered itself above congressional oversight and pressed them to provide copies of all non-disclosure agreements related to the West LA campus. Under Secretary John Bartrum and Ms. Runyan replied that they did not believe they were above oversight and committed to working with the Committee to provide the requested documents. When asked why the action plan required under President Trump’s executive order had been submitted 248 days late, Ms. Runyan responded that the delay involved White House review processes and ongoing litigation. She promised to provide future updates and briefings to Congress.

• The Chairman asked why Sec. Collins and the Trump administration had chosen to aggressively address issues at the West LA campus when prior administrations had avoided doing so. Under Sec. Bartrum stated that President Trump and Sec. Collins were committed to fixing long-standing problems and ensuring the campus fulfilled its mission to serve veterans.

• Chairman Bost raised concerns that outside political and commercial pressures had prevented the VA from prioritizing veterans in the past, and Ms. Runyan agreed that the department had inherited numerous management and lease-related problems. Under Sec. Bartrum added that the VA was already expanding campus security through additional police hiring, new lighting contracts, and increased security staffing.

• Ranking Member Takano questioned whether the VA’s actions regarding the West LA campus were being driven both by President Trump’s executive order and Judge Carter’s court order. Ms. Runyan confirmed that both factors were influencing the VA’s actions but declined to discuss ongoing litigation regarding the continued appeal of the ruling.

• Ranking Member Takano also asked about lease agreements involving UCLA, Brentwood School, and Brightburn Energy. Ms. Runyan replied that the UCLA lease renewal option rested solely with UCLA, while leases involving Brentwood School and Brightburn Energy had already been terminated. She further explained that notices to vacate had not yet been issued and declined to comment on whether additional funding would be requested for future eviction-related costs.

• The Ranking Member inquired about staffing shortages and canceled case management contracts affecting homeless veterans at West LA. Dr. Thomas O’Toole shared that the campus currently had 270 case managers, with half employed directly by the VA and half serving as contractors, along with additional support staff. Ranking Member Takano argued that canceled contracts and staffing vacancies demonstrated that the VA was unprepared to support an additional 6,000 homeless veterans envisioned under the executive order. Under Sec. Bartrum responded that the VA’s current case management ratios met national standards but acknowledged that the workforce would need to expand significantly as the campus population grew.

• Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds asked about the high projected cost of a new parking structure and sought clarification on how much of the proposed budget directly benefited veterans. Under Sec. Bartrum and Mr. Brett Simms explained that parking infrastructure was necessary because previous surface parking areas had been replaced with supportive housing, and they argued that the garage would support veterans, visitors, and staff while freeing additional land for future housing.

• Rep. King-Hinds also asked whether the $500 million request represented the full projected cost of the redevelopment effort. Mr. Simms acknowledged that additional future funding requests and ongoing operational costs would likely be necessary. He described the current request as a foundational investment intended to support long-term campus expansion and veteran services.

• Rep. Julia Brownley questioned how the VA planned to support the growing population of aging veterans living on the West LA campus, particularly veterans requiring assistance with daily living and long-term care. Dr. O’Toole acknowledged the importance of aging-in-place services and said the VA was studying successful models in Northern California while developing plans to expand supportive care for elderly veterans. Rep. Brownley expressed concern that the existing plan lacked sufficient detail and requested more specific information regarding resources and implementation strategies.

• Rep. Brownley then mentioned the importance of the longstanding partnership between UCLA and the West LA VA Medical Center. Ms. Runyan and Under Sec. Bartrum confirmed that the partnership for medical services and research remained intact and unaffected by the lease disputes and litigation.

• Rep. Derrick Van Orden sharply criticized the VA’s request for $500 million in funding, arguing that officials lacked a complete and transparent master plan for the West LA campus. He compared the funding request to a homeowner making a down payment without understanding the total cost and called the proposal a continuation of long-standing corruption and mismanagement.

• Rep. Van Orden then asked who was currently using the campus and what revenue the outside tenants generated, and the witnesses agreed to provide additional information for the record. Dr. O’Toole explained that the campus was intended both to help younger veterans transition back into society and to provide aging veterans with a safe and dignified place to live long term.

• Rep. Delia Ramirez brought up Project Safe Harbor and expressed concern that the initiative could be used to place homeless veterans into guardianships or institutional settings against their will. She asked how many homeless or at-risk veterans in Los Angeles had already been enrolled in the program, but Dr. O’Toole did not have the number available. He explained that Project Safe Harbor was intended to examine best practices for assisting veterans who lacked the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves, particularly veterans who had been hospitalized.

• Rep. Ramirez then challenged prior VA testimony regarding planning documents related to guardianship efforts. Dr. O’Toole responded that earlier drafts explored several options and did not reflect the program’s finalized approach.

• Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks asked how frequently oversight was conducted on organizations and entities operating under agreements or leases on the West LA campus. Ms. Runyan claimed that the department had inherited a complicated situation involving numerous third-party agreements authorized under the West LA Leasing Act and explained that the VA had recently requested inspections of all enhanced-use leases. Under Sec. Bartrum added that oversight reviews would occur at least monthly moving forward.

• Rep. Miller-Meeks also raised concerns about drug activity, prostitution, and overall safety on campus. The witnesses maintained that they were increasing police staffing, expanding lighting and security infrastructure, and coordinating with local law enforcement to improve safety conditions.

• Rep. Miller-Meeks questioned when Congress could expect an updated master plan for the West LA campus and how much campus land was not currently being used directly for veteran housing or care. Under Sec. Bartrum and Ms. Runyan stated that the VA was continuing to develop its long-term plans and committed to providing regular updates while working toward the administration’s goals. Mr. Simms elaborated that portions of the northern campus remained tied up by the Brentwood lease and environmental concerns, while other development limitations involved historic trees and land-use restrictions. The department was actively assessing which areas of the property could support future construction and redevelopment.

• Rep. Tim Kennedy expressed concern that the VA planned to bring thousands of additional veterans to the West LA campus despite ongoing reports of drug activity, overdoses, robberies, and inadequate security. He asked whether the campus was currently safe and questioned how the VA planned to recruit and retain enough police officers to secure the property. Under Sec. Bartrum reiterated that the VA had already increased police staffing from approximately 50 officers to more than 80 and planned to expand to as many as 165 officers while also improving lighting and campus security infrastructure. Rep. Kennedy remained skeptical that the VA was prepared to safely manage the expansion.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS (PANEL TWO)

• Dr. Nelson SooHoo stated that UCLA’s longstanding partnership with the West LA VA Medical Center had significantly strengthened veteran health care, physician training, and medical research. He explained that UCLA physicians, residents, and medical students played a major role in delivering care to veterans, including performing approximately 3,000 surgeries and supporting more than 1 million patient visits annually. Dr. SooHoo also outlined UCLA-funded veteran support programs, including legal assistance and resilience training initiatives, and stated that UCLA had exceeded its financial obligations under its lease agreement with the VA. He asserted UCLA’s commitment to continuing its partnership with the VA and serving veterans regardless of the outcome of ongoing lease discussions.

• Ms. Tess Banko shared her personal experiences as a disabled Marine Corps veteran, suicide survivor widow, and formerly homeless individual, explaining that those experiences shaped her commitment to veteran housing and recovery services. She described the work of the West Los Angeles Veterans Collective, which was selected by the VA in 2018 to lead redevelopment efforts on the campus and create a comprehensive supportive housing community for veterans. Ms. Banko reported that the collective had already completed six housing buildings totaling 407 permanent supportive housing units, with six additional buildings under construction that would bring the total to more than 1,000 units by the end of 2026. She also spoke on the importance of maintaining long-term coordination between the VA, developers, and community partners to ensure veterans lived in a safe and supportive environment rather than simply being housed temporarily.

• Mr. Richard Valdez mentioned his military service in Vietnam, the injuries he sustained in combat, and his later involvement with the Disabled American Veterans Department of California (DAV Cal). He explained that DAV Cal had participated in agreements involving Brightburn Energy and the VA that directed oil royalty donations toward transportation services for veterans at the West LA campus. Mr. Valdez stated that DAV Cal had received approximately $897,000 in donations between 2017 and 2024 and had used those funds to provide transportation services and purchase vehicles for veterans traveling to medical appointments. He reaffirmed DAV Cal’s commitment to helping establish a stable community and housing system for homeless veterans at the West LA campus.

• Mr. Jim Zenner testified that fully realizing the National Center for Warrior Independence would require additional reforms beyond simply expanding housing on the West LA campus. He urged Congress to prioritize the creation of a federal Veterans Treatment Court, the expansion of affordable and flexible housing options, and the resolution of jurisdictional and law enforcement gaps affecting the campus. Mr. Zenner argued that veterans experiencing homelessness often faced complex behavioral health and social challenges that required coordinated treatment and support services rather than punishment alone. He also warned that staffing shortages and enforcement limitations within the VA Police Department created serious safety concerns that Congress would need to address to ensure the campus could function effectively as a long-term veteran community.

• Chairman Bost asked how UCLA directly improved the lives of veterans on the West LA campus. Dr. SooHoo described UCLA’s role in providing medical care, training physicians, and maintaining a long-standing partnership with the VA that helped veterans feel confident in the care they received. 

• The Chairman raised concerns that some veterans and members of the public perceived UCLA as benefiting more from the relationship than veterans themselves, particularly because of the baseball stadium lease. Dr. SooHoo responded that the medical mission remained the core of the partnership and underscored that UCLA’s work primarily focused on delivering care and training future physicians dedicated to serving veterans.

• Rep. Brownley inquired about the importance of UCLA’s medical training relationship with the VA and whether many UCLA-trained physicians ultimately went on to work in VA facilities. Dr. SooHoo said that hundreds of UCLA residents rotated through the VA annually and explained that exposure to veterans and their experiences often inspired physicians to continue serving within the VA system. He also spotlighted the importance of dedicated VA-focused psychiatry residency tracks that helped build a pipeline of future mental health providers for veterans.

• Rep. Brownley asked how veterans might feel about the executive order’s proposal to bring thousands of homeless veterans from across the country to the West LA campus. Mr. Valdez answered that, from his personal perspective, most veterans would likely prefer to receive care and support services closer to their home communities rather than relocating across the country. Rep. Brownley agreed that veterans generally preferred receiving care in their home environments and referenced the goals of the Elizabeth Dole Act to expand home- and community-based care options.

• Rep. King-Hinds questioned the role of U.S. Vets and the Veterans Collective in the development and operation of housing projects at the West LA campus. Ms. Banko explained that U.S. Vets served both as a housing developer and lead service provider within the Veterans Collective partnership and described the security requirements imposed under the enhanced-use lease agreements. She claimed that each development maintained around-the-clock security staffing, including contracted security personnel and trained veteran peer specialists responsible for observing, reporting, and attempting to de-escalate incidents.

• Rep. King-Hinds also asked how safety and security concerns could be improved on campus. Ms. Banko replied that stronger coordination with VA Police, increased staffing, preventative intervention efforts, and stronger veteran community engagement were all important components of improving campus safety.

• Ranking Member Takano inquired about the non-disclosure agreements used by the VA in meetings related to the West LA campus. Mr. Zenner shared that he had been asked to sign an NDA during a June 2025 meeting attended by numerous VA officials, and he was not given an explanation for why the NDA was necessary. He further testified that he was not provided time for legal review, did not receive a copy of the agreement, and did not believe anything discussed in the meeting should have been withheld from the public. Mr. Zenner described the use of NDAs as unprecedented and said they undermined the collaborative process that had previously helped reduce veteran homelessness in Los Angeles.

• The Ranking Member then asked about severe staffing shortages within the VA Police Department and the resulting security concerns at the West LA campus. Mr. Zenner claimed that only a small number of officers were available to patrol the large campus and argued that the VA needed to significantly increase police funding and improve salaries to compete with local law enforcement agencies. He also explained that jurisdictional limitations prevented VA police officers and contracted security personnel from fully enforcing local and state laws on the property, contributing to ongoing public safety concerns across the campus.

• Rep. Ramirez questioned DAV Cal’s role in supporting housing efforts and development planning at the West LA campus. Mr. Valdez said that DAV Cal had participated in development discussions dating back to the original draft master plan and underlined the importance of providing veterans with housing, safety, supportive services, job training, and opportunities to reintegrate into society.

• Rep. Ramirez then asked all the witnesses to identify the greatest challenge facing the campus, and Mr. Zenner identified public safety as the top concern because unsafe conditions affected both veterans and employees. Ms. Banko emphasized the need for continuity and long-term commitment across decades of development, while Dr. SooHoo agreed that public safety remained a major issue for trainees and medical personnel working on campus.

• Rep. Maxine Dexter asked about barriers faced by veterans with other-than-honorable discharges who were not eligible for certain homeless assistance programs. Mr. Zenner explained that these veterans could still access some housing support programs, such as HUD-VASH and grant-per-diem programs, but acknowledged that the lack of continuity between programs created challenges.

• Rep. Dexter also raised concerns about National Guard and Reserve veterans facing similar eligibility gaps, and Mr. Zenner stated that those issues were regularly discussed within the Los Angeles veteran collaborative. Both agreed that additional federal resources and broader eligibility reforms would help address those shortcomings.

• Rep. Dexter then brought up the concept of veteran self-sufficiency and whether affordable housing remained a major barrier for veterans living in Los Angeles. Mr. Zenner responded that affordability remained a serious challenge, particularly for lower-paid VA employees and transitioning service members who struggled with the region’s high housing costs. He argued that workforce housing and broader affordable housing options were necessary because enhanced-use lease housing alone would not fully solve the problem. Rep. Dexter concluded by emphasizing that housing should be treated as a form of health care and that Congress needed to continue working together to address veteran homelessness.

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