In an effort to house more homeless vets, the government says it is ending a controversial, decades-long relationship with one of the country's most exclusive private schools.
So does this mean that Veterans will no longer have access to the facilities Brentwood School made available to them (Gym, swimming pool, track, and baseball field)?
That is a good question that unfortunately we do not have an answer to. You might want to call the school to ask. There is a coordinator contract listed at the bottom of this document. Let us know what they say!
That remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Brentwood School lease was deemed illegal by the Ninth Circuit, while the court upheld the legality of the UCLA lease, though largely on a technicality. The plaintiffs did not challenge the UCLA lease in the same way it had challenged the Brentwood lease, a move their counsel characterized as "a mistake" and something they appear to be looking to address: https://homeofthebrave.substack.com/p/homeless-veteran-lawsuit-va-vets-shelter-home-housing
However, we did note this in our initial reporting:
...the university secured what someone involved in the execution of the VA’s leasing agreements described as a “special relationship” in the form of a lease for the stadium involving a 10-year commitment to pay rent and provide at least $13.5 million in in-kind support to the veterans. It was tucked into the West LA Leasing Act, a 2016 law co-authored by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, two California lawmakers with close ties to the school. “They did that because the regents are the most juiced-up players in California life,” explains a source involved in the leasing efforts, “and because VA needs a huge number of UCLA medical residents.”
Coincidentally, February 9 is also the anniversary of that 1971 earthquake.
Oh wow, great catch!
So does this mean that Veterans will no longer have access to the facilities Brentwood School made available to them (Gym, swimming pool, track, and baseball field)?
That is a good question that unfortunately we do not have an answer to. You might want to call the school to ask. There is a coordinator contract listed at the bottom of this document. Let us know what they say!
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1755647416/brentwoodca/mcvoxlb0rciixxed6tsm/VCREHoursOneSheet2025JULY.pdf
Does this reflect the school has less political clout than the university?
That remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Brentwood School lease was deemed illegal by the Ninth Circuit, while the court upheld the legality of the UCLA lease, though largely on a technicality. The plaintiffs did not challenge the UCLA lease in the same way it had challenged the Brentwood lease, a move their counsel characterized as "a mistake" and something they appear to be looking to address: https://homeofthebrave.substack.com/p/homeless-veteran-lawsuit-va-vets-shelter-home-housing
However, we did note this in our initial reporting:
...the university secured what someone involved in the execution of the VA’s leasing agreements described as a “special relationship” in the form of a lease for the stadium involving a 10-year commitment to pay rent and provide at least $13.5 million in in-kind support to the veterans. It was tucked into the West LA Leasing Act, a 2016 law co-authored by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, two California lawmakers with close ties to the school. “They did that because the regents are the most juiced-up players in California life,” explains a source involved in the leasing efforts, “and because VA needs a huge number of UCLA medical residents.”
Read more here: https://homeofthebrave.longlead.com/part/4/carving-up-the-map