Veterans file lawsuit demanding permanent housing for homeless Los Angeles vets

LOS ANGELES - Veterans have filed a landmark class-action lawsuit demanding that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provide permanent housing for thousands of homeless vets on or around its West Los Angeles campus.

The trial for the lawsuit kicked off on Tuesday and veterans say it could have national implications.

After living 10 years on the streets, combat veteran Robert Canas now has a place to call home on the West Los Angeles VA campus. While his living situation has improved significantly, he worries about his friend who lost a leg in Afghanistan and had been turned away from VA housing.

"He is too disabled," Canas said.

Due to disability income restrictions set by the VA's third-party contractors, it has already been ruled discriminatory by the judge. Now, a civil trial will decide what to do about it.

The plaintiffs are asking the judge to order another 4000 supportive housing units on the campus and avoid leases on the land to Brentwood School, UCLA, and for oil drilling and parking.

"The goal with this is, is to get all of our homeless veterans housed, return this property to its intended purpose of being a soldier's home," said veterans advocate Rob Reynolds.

The VA did not respond to FOX 11's request for comment at the time the story aired.