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About This Project
Summary
With around 4,000 unhoused vets, LA is the homeless capital of America—but it wasn't always this way. Fifty years ago, the VA evicted disabled veterans from valuable Los Angeles land established after the Civil War to house disabled soldiers. This feature tells the full story—from the property’s founding to the legal fight to take it back—of a centuries-spanning land war between the U.S. government, local forces, and generations of wounded vets seeking support, justice, and a place to call home.
Goals & Objectives
HOME OF THE BRAVE's goals were to 1. Chronicle and preserve the 130-year history of the West LA VA as a home for disabled vets, 2. Inform local and national audiences about this injustice to inspire them to support the vets, and 3. Produce compelling media to compel key decision makers to act.
Results & Impact
Our reporting made a difference. During the trial, Judge Carter read a letter from Long Lead to the court that promoted the feature. The first line of the feature was echoed in the first line of the judge's ruling, which granted thousands of unhoused vets a home on the land. We reached our audience!
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