Dear neighbor, 

This week, I am honored to share an important update with you about my continued work to provide for our nation’s veterans and address our community’s homelessness crisis. The West Los Angeles VA this week unveiled Building 207, a newly renovated, fully furnished housing opportunity for unhoused and at-risk veterans in our community. Each unit is “move-in” ready and will provide veterans with the stable, comfortable housing they deserve.   

As an Air Force veteran myself, I have always prioritized the needs of our men and women in uniform and am committed to addressing and ending veteran homelessness. This new development at the West LA VA is the latest progress we’ve made to tackle this challenge. Building 207 also includes amenities that will support veterans as they navigate their new surroundings and build community, including central common spaces, computer and fitness rooms, and onsite management and caseworker offices. With Building 207 open, there are now over 100 total permanent supportive housing units available for unhoused and at-risk veterans and their families on the West LA VA campus. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about these housing units, please visit the VA unhoused veteran care portal here. 

Building 207 on opening day

While these new housing units are a promising step forward, I know that there is always more work to be done to end veteran homelessness. In the 117th Congress I was honored to support several measures that made meaningful progress toward that goal. The PACT Act, which I was proud to cosponsor, was signed into law by President Biden in 2022 and provides more than $350 million for housing development at the West LA VA. Additionally, I helped to secure $483 million for the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program in the 2022 government funding package. HUD-VASH is a collaborative program that pairs HUD housing assistance with VA case management and supportive services for unhoused veterans, providing targeted support to our nation’s heroes. Finally, Senator Feinstein and I introduced legislation that will ensure funds generated by campus leases at the West LA VA directly support housing development for unhoused veterans. This provision was signed into law as part of the 2022 defense authorization bill, allowing the West LA VA to more effectively meet the needs of our community. I am looking forward to continuing this important work in the 118th Congress. As your representative in Washington, you can count on me to keep up the fight to finally end veteran homelessness.

Here’s a look at what else I’ve been working on this week: 

• Congratulated Julie Su on her nomination to be U.S. Secretary of Labor. Once confirmed, Julie will be the first Asian American in President Biden’s Cabinet. 
• Joined Cassie Semyon on Spectrum News to talk about the need for federal regulation of artificial intelligence. Watch the full interview below. 
• Applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of the first $250 million for state and local governments to address climate pollution. These funds will help curb pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while creating good-paying clean jobs. 
• Woke up early Thursday morning to talk about Extreme MAGA Republicans’ plan to cut Social Security and Medicare on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Check it out here.  
• Prepared USO care packages to be delivered to our troops. Each day in Congress I work to honor our soldiers who serve with courage and selflessness.

READY FOR TAKEOFF: Travel season is almost here! If you’re planning international travel soon, please be sure to check your passport and make sure it is up to date. Many countries require a minimum of six months of validity on your passport to enter. Due to normal seasonal demands, processing times for passport requests are increasing to 8-11 weeks for standard processing and 5-7 weeks for expedited processing. To learn more, visit the State Department’s website and renew your passport sooner rather than later! 

For more on my work in Congress, please visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our D.C. office at (202) 225-3976 or our Los Angeles district office at (323) 651-1040. 

I look forward to updating you again soon. 

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 

Member of Congress