The Department of Veterans Affairs has terminated Brentwood School’s illegal and unethical lease at the West Los Angeles VA Soldiers’ Home, bringing long overdue scrutiny to decades of lobbying, political pressure, and misuse of federal land intended for Veterans.
The VA terminated multiple outside agreements covering more than 900 acres of deed restricted federal land at the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home. These terminations include the lease held by Brentwood School, a private parking operator, and an oil pumping operation. This land was donated through multiple deeds beginning in 1888 and permanently set aside by an Act of Congress to serve as a permanent home for disabled and homeless Veterans, not private institutions, not profit, not prestige.
For years, elite institutions were allowed to operate at the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home while thousands of unhoused Veterans slept on the streets of Los Angeles. Brentwood School, a $50,000 per year private school, continued using portions of the Soldiers’ Home while lease extensions and favorable arrangements were preserved through political influence and lobbying.
According to the VA, the department determined it was underpaid by more than $40 million per year based on the fair market value of the leased properties at the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home. This finding raises serious questions about how Veterans and taxpayers were shortchanged while private interests benefited.
The VA has confirmed that Brentwood School’s lease was voided by federal court in September 2024. Any temporary status quo during litigation ended once the Ninth Circuit mandate period expired. The VA then issued formal written notice terminating the lease effective February 9, 2026. As of that date, there is no remaining legal authority permitting continued occupancy or use of the parcel. Despite this, Brentwood School has continued operating as though nothing changed.
Federal law does not allow occupants to remain on a federal installation while matters are being worked out. Continued use of federal property after authorization has been revoked constitutes unauthorized occupancy under federal law, including 18 U.S.C. 1382, which prohibits remaining on federal property once permission has ended. Ongoing discussions or invitations to meet do not reinstate or extend authorization to remain at the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home.
During protests following the VA’s termination notice, responding LAPD officers requested documentation from Brentwood School employees showing any current written authorization permitting continued occupancy. According to those present, no such documentation was provided.
Meanwhile, Brentwood School continues operating athletic facilities at the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home on land permanently deeded to house and care for disabled and homeless Veterans. In that context, gestures such as hosting events, offering hotdogs, or providing rides do not offset the scale of land use, financial underpayment, and lost housing opportunities.
The West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home exists because Congress intended it to be a permanent refuge for Veterans. Yet Veterans continue to die daily on the streets of Los Angeles while land meant for their care was diverted to private use. This is happening despite a VA system funded by approximately $1.4 billion annually in federal taxpayer dollars.
The question is no longer whether the West Los Angeles Soldiers’ Home will be restored to its intended purpose.
The question is when Brentwood School will vacate the terminated parcel, when those responsible will be held accountable, and why it took this long while Veterans paid the price.
Emails between Sennett Devermont and Tim Cottrell
