{"id":114444,"date":"2025-06-10T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/veterans-experience\/?p=114444"},"modified":"2025-08-12T14:33:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T18:33:41","slug":"vcoeb-may-2020-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/veterans-experience\/vcoeb\/vcoeb-may-2020-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"VCOEB May 2020 Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Notice of Meeting<\/h2><\/div>

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) that the Veterans and Community Oversight and Engagement Board will meet virtually on May 21, 2020. The meeting is open to the public.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Access the full notice<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Minutes and Presentations<\/h3><\/div>

The VCOEB typically meets two to four times a year. Meeting minutes and presentations are available for download.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/i>Download the minutes<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i>Download the presentation<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Recommendations and Responses<\/h3><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Recommendation 09-01<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n

\u201c\u2026that the (West LA campus) Grand Lawn gated entrance at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and San Vincente Boulevard shall be named \u2018Carolina Winston Barrie Gate\u2019\u2026that a plaque shall be placed in her honor at the Grand Lawn entrance or promenade; and\u2026that VA Voluntary Services partner with the community to ensure all necessary funding to carry out these recommendations are raised through private contributions.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

VA Response<\/strong>: Non-concur. As a direct descendant of Arcadia Bandini de Baker, one of the two original donors of the land on which the West Los Angeles (LA) campus now stands, Ms. Carolina Winston Barrie was a staunch advocate for LA\u2019s most vulnerable Veterans and for restoration of the historic National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers campus. To her work, she brought a clear commitment to creating a modern community for Veterans that honors the historic legacy of that 1887 gift. Ms. Barrie passed away at her home in Santa Monica on April 29, 2020.<\/p>\n

Only Congress may name Federal buildings, including VA facilities. While this statutory requirement, found in 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) 531, arguably may not apply to the Grand Law gates on the West LA campus, it is instructive as to the weight with which the Federal government approaches such decisions and with the significant public interest in them. Given the more than 130-year history of the West LA campus, honoring the personal memory of any one individual over that of another is a difficult and consequential choice. For that reason, VA prefers to defer to Congress in affixing names or memorials to its structures, and when doing so prefers to honor Veterans.<\/p>\n

VA remains committed to honoring Ms. Barrie\u2019s legacy through its commitments expressed in the 2016 Draft Master Plan to develop at least 1,200 units of service enriched, permanent supportive housing for severely disabled and vulnerable Veterans, particularly those Veterans experiencing homelessness. VA is also committed to honoring Ms. Barrie\u2019s vision for the renovation and future operation of the historic Wadsworth Chapel, the oldest building on Wilshire Boulevard and an important symbol of the West LA campus\u2019 legacy as a place of healing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Recommendation 09-02A<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n

\u201c\u2026(T)o act in partnership with the City and County of Los Angeles as the fate of countless homeless individuals are in question following a federal court order by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter. VCOEB has previously recommended that VAGLAHS increase emergency shelter capacity on campus. We do so again in the light of both COVID-19 and the seemingly impossible task imposed on the City and County to create nearly 7,000 emergency shelter beds to house homeless individuals living near freeways and overpasses. We believe VA has a unique opportunity to expand on the early success of CTRS by opening more shelter beds on campus for homeless Veterans. Doing so would offer a life raft to those homeless Veterans affected by the court order while opening more beds for non-Veterans elsewhere in the community. It is essential that VA act in partnership with local authorities as COVID-19 is a threat to all regardless of Veteran status.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

VA Response<\/strong>: Concur. The Community Engagement and Reintegration Service \u2013 the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) program serving Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness \u2013 works alongside agencies of the City and County of Los Angeles as partners to address the crisis in homelessness in this community. At the onset of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, VAGLAHS swiftly instituted new initiatives to address the emergency needs of Veterans experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, VAGLAHS created the Care, Treatment and Rehabilitative Service (CTRS) initiative, in which homeless Veterans living on the street in personally-owned tents are offered a safe environment on VA grounds. CTRS is positioned as a low-barrier-to-entry care initiative incorporating shelter for homeless Veterans by aligning safe, socially-distanced tent-sites together with hygiene stations, laundry, meals and case management services. Under the CTRS initiative, more than 60% of CTRS Veterans have moved on to other treatment and supportive housing programs. This is a great success for a street-level entry program. After an initial pilot of 25 Veterans, this program quickly scaled to handle 50 Veterans. VAGLAHS is now planning for the next expansion to 100 Veterans, with the ability to flex and grow as conditions require.<\/p>\n

To further serve the needs of Veterans experiencing homelessness, VAGLAHS realigned 138 Domiciliary beds in Building 214 to serve the following:<\/p>\n