Membrane tent goes vertical at West LA VA campus

By Sam Catanzaro

A membrane structure that will house up to 100 veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Campus was recently erected as outreach for homeless Veterans in Venice and the Westside will soon begin.

Once complete, the site will include two 40’ x 120’ tension membrane structures and modular trailers, which will be located within the VA campus near existing buildings and services.

The site will offer roughly 100 beds for currently homeless veterans, as well as storage for residents, personal hygiene and laundry facilities, supportive and community engagement services, and 24-hour security.

“As the sites prepare to open, outreach workers will begin building trust with people experiencing homelessness, so people currently living in encampments in Venice, as well as veterans experiencing homelessness on the Westside, will be ready to move in when the facilities both open,” said Councilmember Mike Bonin, referring to a bridge housing center set to open in Venice as well.

This bridge housing facility will be temporary — and not to be visible from the exterior of the campus — as the VA constructs out its Draft Master Plan, which will provide 1200 units of permanent supportive housing on the campus.

The facility was expected to open in early 2019, but crews experienced a delay on the site when they uncovered old pipes that needed special attention as the site was prepared for the temporary structures.

In addition, mud from a rainy winter and asbestos that was discovered hindered the project.

Across the street at the West Los Angeles National Guard Armory, plans have been submitted to the federal government to build a bridge housing center there for non-veteran homeless individuals in the area.