UCLA offers proposal to stay on VA campus after being locked out of baseball stadium

Topline:

UCLA hopes that its new proposal will allow its baseball team to continue leasing facilities from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. A judge ordered the team to vacate the premises on Sep. 25.

What’s in the proposal: UCLA offered to increase its rent from $320,000 annually to $600,000, and also offered to demonstrate for the court how they support veterans by offering free and low-cost healthcare. In August, Judge David O. Carter ruled that the land being leased to outside tenants should be used to build over 2,000 new homes for veterans.

The case: A group of veterans filed a lawsuit against VA Secretary Denis McDonough in 2022 for discrimination, arguing that more housing near the agency’s campus is needed for disabled veterans who rely on the VA for medical services and have trouble accessing the campus from other parts of Southern California.

The backstory: Carter has taken a hard line against UCLA and private entities leasing land on the VA campus, like the Brentwood School and Bridgeland Oil. He ordered Bridgeland to cap its oil well last month, and the Brentwood School will also need to reach a deal with the VA to continue using its own facilities on the land.

What’s next: Hearings for the case took place throughout last week. The next one is scheduled for Monday.

Go deeper: Read more about the judge’s order that led to the lockout.