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Plan to House Homeless Vets Pending Decision

Supporters, as well as opponents, of a plan to house 500 homeless vets on the Veterans Administration grounds in Westwood are stepping up lobbying efforts in Washington, where a final decision is pending.

Spearheaded by Santa Monica Council member Bobby Shriver, the proposal would designate three vacant buildings to house some of the 17,000 veterans who sleep on the streets of Los Angeles County.

But financial forces and opposition from nearby residents could jeopardize the plan.

Developers are eyeing the 387-acre campus as a financial windfall if they can tear down the existing buildings and develop million dollar condominiums on the prime Westside real estate. A drug distributor also has set its sites on the property. In addition, residents who live near the facility have been fighting back with a lobbying effort of their own.