Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough has announced that the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center will provide permanent housing for all of the veterans currently living in the San Vicente encampment – known as Veterans Row – before the county clears the sidewalk on Nov. 1.

Additionally, the VA announced that it will work to get 500 additional L.A.-area homeless veterans into permanent housing by the end of the year.

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano, Rep. Karen Bass, Rep. Ted Lieu and Subcommittee on Health Chairwoman Julia Brownley (all D-Calif.) applauded the announcements.

“We’ve been calling for action to assist the unhoused veterans sleeping next to the VA in West Los Angeles,” Bass said. “Finally, we have a White House willing to listen. Secretary McDonough was willing to answer our call — he was willing to have us show him the situation and then work with us as we follow through with action. When he toured the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System earlier this month, my colleagues and I urged him to take bold and swift action on the crisis on our hands here in Los Angeles. What the secretary is announcing is ambitious but the exact kind of leadership needed to get folks in homes. This crisis is not going to go away overnight, it’s going to take concerted efforts at all levels of government in collaboration with outside groups to get this done. Addressing this crisis cannot wait.”

When McDonough visited VA facilities and met with veterans, he received a tour of the San Vicente encampment and spoke with homeless veterans, advocates and VA staff.

“No one who has served our country in uniform should ever be without a roof over their heads,” Lieu said.