June 29, 2023
LAHSA announces homeless count results; numbers rising despite increased funding
May 15, 2023
Prop HHH finally pays off — more than 6 years after it passed
Olga Rosario spent two and a half years without shelter in LA. In November, she moved to a new apartment in Sylmar, permanent supportive housing funded in part by Proposition HHH. (Photo by Anna Scott)
The bathroom in Olga Rosario’s new studio apartment in Sylmar has an entire shelf dedicated to her seashell collection. “I love the beach,” Rosario, 62, says while showing off the place. In the kitchen area, she gestures across the room. “The sink by the window,” she says, “that’s what I’ve always wanted.”
April 5, 2023
New permanent supportive housing project in Sylmar is now open
Los Angeles city and county leaders celebrated the grand opening of Silva Crossing, a new supportive housing project in Sylmar featuring 56 studio-bedroom apartments. (KABC)
SYLMAR, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles city and county leaders gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Silva Crossing, a new supportive housing project in Sylmar for formerly homeless and low-income individuals.
"At Silva Crossing, finally I have my own space, my own shower, my own bed and my own kitchen," said Silva Crossing resident Olga Rosario.
The project features 56 studio-bedroom apartments and is within walking distance of grocery stores and pharmacies. Residents like Rosario now have access to a variety of supportive services to help them regain stability.
February 14, 2023
Advocates for homeless people wonder: Why isn’t there an app to help find housing?
[Illustration: FC]
Vince Williamz’s fall days were filled with dirty looks from neighbors living in the apartment building overlooking Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith Park. Williamz, who has experienced homelessness for seven years, had recently made the Hollywood park his home. At least a dozen tents lined one end of the park, occupied by people in situations similar to that of Williamz, in an orderly row under the windows and balconies of the Hollywood Sycamore Tower apartments. The glares from neighbors would often lead to visits by police officers shortly thereafter, park dwellers said.
On a warm day in late September, Williamz described his difficulties getting connected to services that could lead him to housing. He wished there were an app that could show him available rooms across the region in real time—technology that would reduce the time he put into trying to find a place.
February 6, 2023
Making the homelessness crisis a 'top priority' in Los Angeles
(Getty Images/welcomia)
In 2022, more than 170,000 Californians experienced homelessness, according to recent federal data. The state accounted for 30% of the country’s unhoused population. The issue is a top priority for many state and local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, whose first action was to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
On the first night of the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, Bass stated, “The only way we’re really going to get a handle on this crisis is if we all have skin in the game.”
On this week’s “In Focus SoCal,” host Tanya McRae meets Gregg Sherkin, a longtime volunteer at the annual count. He is also currently the board chair of LA Family Housing in North Hollywood.
January 10, 2023
L.A. County poised to declare state of emergency over homelessness crisis
L.A. County supervisors are expected to declare a state of emergency over the homelessness crisis. Above, a skid row encampment in 2021. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was the first to act, last month declaring the homelessness crisis a citywide state of emergency, one as calamitous as any earthquake or hurricane. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson asked his staff to draft a similar declaration hours after he was sworn in.
It’s now the county’s turn.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a motion Tuesday from Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger declaring a countywide state of emergency on homelessness, aiming to dramatically speed up the time it takes to provide services to the tens of thousands of people sleeping on the streets.