A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel largely upheld an order that requires the Department of
Veterans Affairs to build thousands of permanent and temporary housing units for homeless and
disabled veterans on its West Los Angeles campus.
The unanimous opinion published on Dec. 23 – written by Circuit Judge Ana de Alba and joined by
Judges Consuelo M. Callahan and Roopali H. Desai – affirmed that the VA violated the
Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide veterans’ meaningful access to care, while narrowing U.S.
District Judge David O. Carter’s role in directing how the agency manages leases and land use
decisions.
“This class action lawsuit, and its numerous appeals, demonstrates just how far the VA has
strayed from its mission,” the opinion stated.