Afghanistan War veteran Tommy McKee is shown at his home in one of several camps located just outside of the John F. Kennedy neighborhood. Residents successfully blocked a non-profit's effort to create a tiny home village for veterans like McKee even though it would have been a short walk north of the homeless encampment.
Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a new center for homeless veterans on its West Los Angeles campus, setting a goal of housing up to 6,000 veterans and launching a sweeping initiative to restore what he called a “crown jewel of veteran care.”
The center, which Trump named the National Warrior Independence Center, aims to address veteran homelessness by reclaiming federal property long criticized for underuse and mismanagement. The order requires VA Secretary Doug Collins to submit a comprehensive action plan by January 1, 2028, and consult with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to expand support through the HUD-VASH voucher program.
“Too many veterans are homeless in America,” the executive order reads. “Each veteran deserves our gratitude. Yet the Federal Government has not always treated veterans like the heroes they are.”
Trump also called on federal agencies to redirect funds “that may have been spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens” to help establish and maintain the center.
The initiative lands amid ongoing legal battles and criticism over the VA’s management of the 388-acre campus. A federal judge recently ruled the VA had failed in its duty to provide housing and invalidated leases with private entities including UCLA and a private school. A decision on the VA’s appeal is pending in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Despite uncertainty about how the executive order will impact the legal case, veteran advocates largely welcomed the move. Rob Reynolds, an Iraq War veteran who testified in the case, called it “a huge win.”
“Just to know that there was an executive order signed for more housing on VA land, that’s something vets have been fighting for for years,” Reynolds said.
The Veterans Collective, which is contracted to build 1,200 supportive housing units on the campus, applauded the order and invited Trump to visit. “With more than 1,000 Veterans already living on campus today, it would be a wonderful opportunity for them to meet with the Commander-in-Chief,” the group said.
Others took a more measured tone. Anthony Allman of Vets Advocacy, which monitors development of the VA’s master plan, said the order “is a right thing but not yet the right thing,” noting it must deliver more than just promises.
Trump’s directive also includes expanding the Manchester VA Medical Center in New Hampshire into a full-service facility — aiming to close a gap that has left the state without a fully operational VA hospital.
“This order could be transformative,” Allman said. “But it’s the execution, not just the signing, that veterans are counting on.”
