Modular Housing to Replace Parking Lot at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Baseball Stadium

U.S. District Court Judge Orders VA to Provide Temporary Housing

In a matter of months, if a federal judge’s order holds up, the parking lot for UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Baseball Stadium will be filled with modular housing. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter on Friday ordered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to select a vendor within a week and have a contract three weeks after that.

Thirty-two of the units would occupy the parking lot of the baseball complex that Carter ordered shuttered in September, and the rest would be placed on two other parcels of the VA’s West Los Angeles campus.

Judge’s Original Order and Relaxation

After pressing VA officials to produce some temporary housing in a mere 90 days, before the rainy season, Carter relaxed his timeline Friday after VA officials agreed to the endeavor but pleaded that the contracting, site development, and installation could not be done that soon.

Carter’s Goal: 750 Units of Temporary Housing in 18 Months

The order is Carter’s opening gambit – in the judge’s words, an “icebreaker” to cut through bureaucratic malaise – toward an ambitious goal. He’s ordered the VA to create up to 750 units of temporary housing in 18 months on its West Los Angeles campus and an additional 1,800 permanent units over six years.

Judge’s Ruling and Lawsuit

Carter laid out that goal in early September at the conclusion of a four-week civil trial, when he also nullified leases of VA land to private entities, including UCLA and the private Brentwood School, because they failed to meet the legal standard of service to veterans. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of veterans by the nonprofit Public Counsel, the Inner City Law Center, and two private law firms, alleged that the VA failed in its fiduciary duty to provide housing for disabled and homeless veterans on the campus.

Practical Challenges and Controversies

In the weeks since his ruling, Carter has wrestled with a tangle of unresolved questions about how this would play out. Where would all the housing go on the VA’s already crowded campus? Where would up to a billion dollars be found to pay for it? How would one of America’s largest bureaucracies become nimble enough to do it?

Future Plans for the Stadium and Brentwood School

And, on the other side of the equation, what would become of the Jackie Robinson Stadium and Brentwood School’s 22-acre sports complex, which boasts an Olympic pool, football stadium, basketball pavilion, tennis courts, and baseball fields?

Conclusion

The solution proposed by the judge and outlined in this article is a significant step towards providing housing for disabled and homeless veterans on the VA’s West Los Angeles campus. With the proposed modular housing, the parking lot of the UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Baseball Stadium will be transformed to accommodate 32 units, paving the way for a more efficient and effective use of the campus.

FAQs

Q: What is the goal of the VA’s housing project?
A: The goal is to create up to 750 units of temporary housing in 18 months and 1,800 permanent units over six years on the VA’s West Los Angeles campus.

Q: What is the timeline for the project?
A: The VA must select a vendor within a week and have a contract three weeks after that.

Q: What is the estimated cost of the project?
A: The cost is estimated to be around $130,000 per unit with transportation and site development.

Q: Is the decision subject to appeal?
A: Yes, the decision is not yet final and may be subject to appeal.