General Meeting

Please join us for our February 16th meeting from 10-11:30 am 
(please note changed date)

February Guest Speakers
Alex Visotzky
LAHSA Legislative Manager
 
Ronson Chu
​South Bay Cities Council of Governments
 Advocacy Committee

Our next meeting is on
Wednesday, tbd
from 1:00-2:00 pm

Please email Paul Stansbury with your interest.  We will be holding a virtual Zoom meeting.

(previously in-person meeting at Starbucks,1171 W Carson St, Torrance)
Contact Paul Stansbury, 
PStans5@aol.com
Since 2014
2022
Homeless Count Deployment Site Flyers and Signup Links

To view the details for any of the South Bay deployments sites, please click on the city name to see the individualized flyer for that jurisdiction/ neighborhood. A hotlink to its signup page is also conveniently shown in red font.
1-16-22 Update: All of the flyers have been updated to reflect the new Count date of February 23rd.


The following cities or neighborhoods are providing all the staff to conduct their Count so community volunteers are not needed:
  • Avalon
  • El Segundo
  • Lennox
January 15, 2022

By now most of you have heard that the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count has been rescheduled to the end of February due to the COVID-19 Omicron surge. Service Planning Area (SPA) 8/South Bay's new Count night is Wednesday, February 23rd.

It's critical we canvass the entire region just as we've successfully done annually since the 2015 Count. The results this year are especially important because it's been two years since we last conducted an unsheltered count. We also need to understand how the pandemic has affected homelessness, especially for those who are experiencing it for the first time because of economic reasons.

Please consider signing up with someone in your "safety bubble." Many changes to the deployment sites setups have been made to quickly get you and your team on your way to greatly reduce the time you are there.
November 11, 2021

Many of you have been following the LA Times comprehensive homelessness coverage. The following is an excerpt from an article published last week reporting on a recent City of Los Angeles policy shift:  "The city of Los Angeles has undertaken a major shift in its approach to homelessness, one that puts a priority on clearing unsightly street encampments even when insufficient permanent housing exists for the people being moved. .... There is widespread agreement that the street encampments, which have spread from skid row to almost all parts of the city, are unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane, reflecting a profound societal failure. But there is also a concern that the change in policy elevates politics over need, creating a squeaky-wheel strategy of clearing those street encampments that have become the biggest liabilities to members of the City Council."

We invite you to continue monitoring this because:
  • This policy shift deviates from LA County's homelessness strategies, where housing resources are prioritized first for the most vulnerable with greatest needs.
  • It impacts many agencies that provide services and housing throughout LA City.
  • Other municipalities across the County are influenced by LA City's policies.
​November 10, 2021 

In January, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) will oversee the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The unsheltered "Street Count" will be held across the South Bay on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 from 8:00-11:00 pm (Palos Verdes Cities will be from 6:00-9:00 pm).

Because the last unsheltered count was cancelled due to the pandemic, it is even more critical that a robust census be conducted in 2022. This can only be achieved with having 550 volunteers to canvass the entire Service Planning Area (SPA) 8 region that one night.

Please consider joining us at one of the cities shown below. No prior experience is required and volunteers will be fully trained. We encourage people to sign up in teams of 3, a new feature this year. LAHSA has also replaced the tally sheets with a smartphone mobile app.  Please see the deployment site flyers and links on the left margin.
August 9, 2021

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) recently released the file containing the 2021 Shelter Count program-specific data. It recorded how many people were staying in temporary housing the night of January 27, 2021. In Service Planning Area (SPA) 8/South Bay, that number was 1,104, up slightly from the 2020 total of 1,048 (+5.3% increase) (Note 1). However, that overall number masks the impact that COVID-19 had on SPA 8's shelter system:
  • Had it not been for the pandemic, the number of available beds for individuals would have risen a remarkable 432%, from 59 to 314, with the 2020 opening of four interim housing programs (Note 2).
  • However, due to safety concerns, most of these new beds were not available and only 72 people stayed in them (Note 3).
  • The temporary Project Roomkey (PRK) program, where COVID-vulnerable individuals stayed in motels, housed 213 people in two South Bay venues (Note 4).
  • The other notable SPA 8 change was the decrease in people using DPSS program motels vouchers, from 319 last year to 167 in 2021 (-48% decrease) (Note 5)
  • For other population-specific shelters, the utilization remained relatively the same (Note 6).

We are waiting for responses to our LAHSA data inquiries before generating an information sheet with SPA 8's 2021 Shelter Count information. Please stay tuned for it!

In the meantime, we want to acknowledge the tremendous effort made by all the service providers and government staff engaged across the South Bay. They continue to work tirelessly in responding quickly to the ever-shifting COVID-19 work environment.

We sincerely appreciate your dedicated service!
2021 Shelter Count SPA 8 Notes:
  • Note 1: LAHSA's 2021 SPA 8 shelter information summary dated 7/20/21 shows that 1,197 were staying in shelter. However, this included 93 people staying at select programs operating in the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC). We removed these from our analysis to be consistent with our past reporting of including only the LA CoC programs.
  • Note 2: This statistic is for programs that are not categorized for special populations such as for Veterans, DV survivors, Youth, etc.
  • Note 3: At some shelters, the number of available beds was reduced to enforce social distancing (referred to as “decompression”). Some were additionally impacted by being under quarantine.
  • Note 4: There were two additional PRK sites operating during 2020 but they had sunsetted by the end of that year.
  • Note 5: These "Cal Works Homeless Assistance Program" motel vouchers, administered by the LA County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), is different from PRK and used primarily for families with minor-aged children.
  • Note 6: During the pandemic, a motel-stay program similar to PRK was started for DV survivors called "Project Safe Haven." LAHSA's data file did not include the statistics from the two such SPA 8 programs in operation at the time of the 2021 Shelter Count.
August 2, 2021

LA County Board of Supervisors, on a 3-2 vote, approved a motion to create a Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness (BRCH) to assess existing structures and systems, and provide reform recommendations. Supervisors Barger, Solis, and Hahn voted in favor of this motion.
  • The composition includes 12 members: five appointed by each Supervisor; one nominated by the Mayor of Los Angeles; three nominated by the Los Angeles City Council President; two nominated by the Councils of Government; and one nominated by the Contract Cities Association. Appointees will be named by August 10th.
  • The BRCH will convene for six months to assess existing homelessness governance reports and best practices from across the nation. They will review with County Counsel and the Chief Executive Office, the existing Joint Powers Authority that governs the County’s participation in the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), with an assessment of the articulated powers of the organization and its limitations; along with the fiscal and operational implications if the County renegotiates or withdraws from the LAHSA Joint Powers Authority altogether.
  • Read the approved BoS motion creating the Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness

LA City Council, on a 13-2 vote, gave final approval on the new anti-camping ordinance that Mayor Garcetti signed.
  • It prohibits sitting, sleeping or storing items on public property near libraries, parks, day-care centers, schools and other locations.
  • It also states that enforcement in such places cannot occur until the City Council has reviewed a location and voted to give the go-ahead for enforcement at that site. That language raises the prospect that the Council will have to vote encampment by encampment to enforce the law.
  • Council members have promised that any enforcement would be accompanied by the arrival of “street engagement teams” - social workers, mental health specialists and others - who would offer the unhoused shelter and services. The City published a report on LAHSA's street outreach engagement strategy, which proposes assigning 17 outreach teams to focus on this ordinance. Those teams would head out to an area before the City Council votes to prohibit camping in a particular location, according to the Report.
  • Read the LACity Ordinance 
  • Read LA City's Report on LAHSA Street Engagement Strategy
July 5, 2021

Making national headlines, the LA City Council last Thursday passed a sweeping ordinance limiting where people can sit, sleep or store property in public areas. In a 13-2 vote, this ordinance prohibits the obstruction on a street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way:
  • Within ten feet of any operational or driveway or loading dock;
  • Within five feet of any operational or utilizable building entrance or exit;
  • Within two feet of any fire hydrant, fire plug, or other fire department connection;
  • Up to a maximum of 500 feet of a property designated as a sensitive use. For a property to be designated as a "sensitive use,” the property must be a School, Day Care Center, Public Park, or Public Library, of a designated overpass, underpass, freeway ramp, tunnel, bridge, pedestrian bridge, subway, wash, spreading ground, or active railway;
  • Up to a maximum of 1,000 feet of a designated facility, opened that provides shelter, safe sleeping, or safe parking to homeless persons, or that serves as a homeless services navigation center.

We will continue to monitor this and other ordinances enacted in other cities to see how they are reshaping the nature of homelessness in LA County.
​
Read the LA Council Ordinance
​Read the LA Times 7-1-21 article on passage of the ordinance

June 28, 2021

​At last week's General Meeting, guest speaker Janet Kelly continued our mini-series on housing racial equity. She lifted up the following efforts that came as a direct result of the recommendations made by the groundbreaking 2018 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's (LAHSA) Ad Hoc Committee on Black Persons Experiencing Homelessness:
  • "Opportunities to Advance Racial Equity Report" from the National Innovations Services Center for Housing Justice, which identifies the actions needed for LAHSA to become a justice-based and equitable homeless system administrator.
  • LAHSA's Coordinated Entry System Triage Tool Research & Refinement (CESTTRR) Overview, which provides a high level description of the multi-year research effort underway by the CESTTRR program in identifying and then making recommendations on how to correct for implicit bias found in the CES Assessment Tool. This is significant because currently all people experiencing homelessness must be "CES Assessed" using this Tool before receiving services.
  • CESTTRR Project website, featuring the work performed by a collective team of researchers led by Dr. Eric Rice from USC, UCLA, University of Missouri, and Lens Co. The project's goal is "to evaluate LA’s current system and design pilots that inform refinements across three core components of LA’s homeless services system: Assessment (the questions), Administration (the process), and Application (use of the data)."
June 21, 2021

​Housing for Health, through the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, has set up mobile vaccine clinics to reach out to people experiencing homelessness (PEH). Vaccinating both sheltered and unsheltered PEH, they have a clinical team of medical professionals that administer the vaccine, and a programmatic team that organizes and facilities the vaccine clinics and subsequent outreach.

They are looking for community organizations, faith organizations, healthcare providers, service/housing providers, and any other community partners who can help make their events a success.
  • They require no minimum number, but would like to know the approximate number expected to ensure they bring the appropriate number of doses.
  • While they are charged with serving PEH, they will not turn anyone away if they come to the clinics and want to get vaccinated.
  • Evening clinics are not common, but they do regularly host weekend clinics on Saturdays and Sundays.
  • They do not require ID, and people only need to give their name and date of birth. Anyone, regardless of immigration status, can receive the vaccine without having to reveal any sensitive information.
  • They have a strong education and outreach team that is able to help provide information to dispel myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine that has been very helpful for people more resistant or skeptical about the vaccine.
  • They currently plan on providing mobile clinics through the fall.

If your organization is interested in working with these COVID-19 vaccine teams to vaccinate PEH, please contact Jordan Wynne or Matthew Tecle.
May 31, 2021

The Committee for Greater LA, chaired by Miguel Santana, recently released its "We're Not Giving Up: A Plan for Homelessness Governance in Los Angeles" report. Written by Dr. Raphael Sonenshein, it examines the short-falls of the current government structures that oversee homelessness in Los Angeles County and proposes a custom-designed entity, referred to as "the center," that serving as a home base of the system to address the region's homelessness. The report's recommendations may have a significant impact on realigning the overall structure for how homeless services are administered and reviewed across the county.
May 5, 2021

We were very saddened to hear of Ruth Schwartz's unexpected passing. She has been Shelter Partnership's sole executive director and a true pioneer in fighting homelessness in Los Angeles. Excerpts from her Board's announcement summarize some of the impacts she made:
  • In 1985, Ruth co-founded Shelter Partnership, Inc. to help develop housing and resources for the growing number of homeless people who have become more visible in our communities.
  • In 1989, Shelter Partnership, Inc. launched the S. Mark Taper Foundation Shelter Resource Bank, a warehouse project that secures large-scale donations of new and unused nonperishable goods that are distributed at no-cost to agencies across Los Angeles County directly serving people living in poverty. In the warehouse project’s history, over a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth of daily necessities like clothes, shoes and socks, and hygiene products have reached an unknown number of people who needed them most.
  • During the pandemic, Ruth oversaw the distribution of hundreds of thousands of facemasks and truckloads of hand sanitizer to unique emergency housing sites launched across the County at parks and recreation centers and hotel/motel rooms.

Shelter Partnership is also a highly respected leader providing technical assistance, research, and advocacy on homelessness issues, with Ruth very much at the center of these activities. In 2017, she and her team worked with the Cities of Inglewood and Carson to develop their homelessness plans.

Our deep condolences go out to the Shelter Partnership's staff during this difficult time. We know they will continue Ruth's mission with her signature candor, integrity and passion.
February 21, 2021

You may be aware that there are three parallel and coordinated efforts well underway exploring changing the governance structure of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), one by the County, City of Los Angeles, and LAHSA. These efforts are important to follow because they will help determine the future functions and authority structure at LAHSA. On February 12th, the LAHSA Commission heard the final recommendations of its internal effort. We will be touching on them very briefly our February 24th General Meeting.
February 14, 2021

There have been five Measure J subcommittees established to get public feedback on how these new funds can be utilized. Each will meet weekly for five weeks and then make its recommendations to the Alternatives To Incarceration 17-member advisory committee for how these County unrestricted general funds can be used. These initial suggestions will help provide the long-lasting foundational set of priorities for this initiative. Here's more information on how you get involved:
  • It is not too late to join these subcommittees. Virtual meeting registration links are provided below.
  • Additional opportunities to provide feedback will be via an online survey available on February 22nd, and at four TBD-date virtual Community Forums.
We encourage you to tune in even if you feel you are not "an expert" in an subject area. You will have an equal vote on the subcommittees' recommendations. Last week's Housing subcommittee had over 200 attendees representing a very diverse stakeholder group.
​Economic Opportunity and Sustainability
Monday 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8
*2/15 meeting may be rescheduled
4:00-6:30 pm
Diversion, Behavioral Health, Health
Tuesday 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9 
4pm-6:30pm
Education Access and Youth Development
Tuesday 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9 
6pm-8:30pm
​Housing
Wednesday 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10
4pm-6:30pm
Reentry
Wednesday 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10 
6pm-8:30pm
December 10, 2020

For the past several months, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has been planning the 2021 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, all the while with the COVID-19 pandemic intensifying. After performing a comprehensive analysis with safety considerations at the forefront, LAHSA requested and was granted a waiver from HUD to forgo the 2021 Unsheltered Point-In-Time (PIT) Count.

Traditionally, LAHSA's Continuum of Care Homeless Count is comprised of four components:
  1. Unsheltered Street Count
  2. Unsheltered Demographic Survey
  3. Unsheltered Youth Count
  4. Sheltered Count/Homeless Inventory Count (HIC)
For the 2021 Homeless Count, only the Sheltered Count/HIC will be performed.

The 2021 PIT Count would typically have affected future funding allocations to specific populations and Service Planning Areas (SPA). LAHSA is working with the LA County Homeless Initiative Office to maintain current Measure H funding levels based on the 2020 PIT Count results. Federal funding through HUD will continue to fund renewal grants, pending upcoming Congressional action.

Additional information on this will be send out after the New Year. In the meantime, we welcome your questions about our upcoming meeting or the Homeless Count.

Lastly, we want to acknowledge the deep partnerships that have been developed with you through the Homeless Counts. We truly appreciate your continued dedication to exploring all the options during this very challenging time, and look forward to working with you on the 2022 Count.
November 17, 2020

As part of the COVID-19 Relief efforts, municipalities across the South Bay have offered rental assistance funds including City of Los Angeles and Carson. Hawthorne announced its program last week, and Gardena and Inglewood are still accepting applications for its residents.

HAWTHORNE
  • $1000 rental assistance for up to 3 months
  • Application window: Nov 11th through Dec 1st
  • Application Workshop on Saturday, Nov 21st from 11am -1pm at Zela Davis Park
Gardena
  • One time sum of up to $5,000 paid directly to landlords
Inglewood
  • Open until its 1,000 slots are filled
November 15,2020

The portion of the City of Los Angeles within Service Planning Area (SPA) 8 is covered by Council District 15. Representing that area is Councilman Joe Buscaino, who has been very proactive in addressing homelessness across CD 15 (which extends into SPA 6's Watts neighborhood).
View Councilman Buscaino's "Housing Solutions Action Plan" (dated Nov 2020)
October 19, 2021
SPA 8 Regional Health Office's Announcement on LA County COVID-19 Community Equity Fund 
A new funding opportunity is available for community-based organizations (CBOs)!  The LA County Department of Health Services and Department of Public Health in partnership with Community Partners is launching the County COVID-19 Community Equity Fund to serve neighborhoods disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic.
 
Selected CBOs will receive:
  • From $100,000 to $500,000 for programming and services related to COVID-19 relief and resources
  • Capacity building workshops
  • Ongoing technical assistance​
Applications open on October 16 and close October 30, 2020. 
Those interested can learn more during the following information sessions:
  • October 20: 11AM – 12PM. Register here.
  • October 21: 3PM – 4PM. Register here.
SPA 8 Priority Regions (for funding) include:
  • Harbor, San Pedro, Wilmington
  • Long Beach
  • Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lennox
September 27, 2020
​
​Coordinated Entry System (CES) FY2019-2020 Housing Placement Goals & Outcomes

CES provides the vast majority of housing and homeless prevention funding in our region. At last week's General Meeting, CES Director Shari Weaver reported on the Service Planning Area (SPA) 8/South Bay's CES housing placements achieved during FY2019-20 that ended on June 30th.

Family System (with a minor aged child(ren))
  • Permanent Housing (PH) Placements – Goal: 124 households with 235 placements (190% of goal)
  • Prevention – Goal: 67 households with 81 retained housing or moved into new PH (121% of goal)
Adult System
  • Permanent Housing Placements (all efforts through Outreach/Housing Navigation & RRH) – Goal:145 with placements 183 (126% of goal)
  • Prevention – Goal 44 / 54 retained housing or moved into new PH (123% of goal)
Youth System (for young adults ages 18-24)
  • Permanent Housing Placements – Goal 26 with 37 placements (132% of goal)
  • Prevention – Goal 8 with 12 retained housing or moved into new PH (150% of goal)
Please help us in congratulating the CES-funded partners who achieved these tremendous outcomes: Harbor Interfaith Services, Catholic Charities' St. Margaret's Center, Sanctuary of Hope, and Mental Health America Los Angeles.
August 17, 2020

SBCEH Updated "Pocket Guides"

Two of our "pocket" resource guides have been updated and are available on our website. Special thanks to Jesse Ramirez with St. Margaret's Center for providing many new listings in the Northern/LAX version.
  • Northern/LAX guide covering Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Gardena, Lennox, Del Aire, Westmont
  • Harbor & Central South Bay Area guide covering San Pedro, Wilington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Torrance, Carson, Lomita, PV
August 10, 2020

Member Announcements

  • Jesse Ramirez is the City of Hawthorne's Homeless Services Coordinator.  He is inviting all of our members to participate in this survey about safe parking programs. Having this community feedback is a vital part of advocating for this badly needed resource so please consider taking a few minutes to complete it.  (Note: SPA 8 is the only region that does not have a safe parking program at this time.) Please contact Jesse if you have questions at   JRamirez@ccharities.org.

  • SoCal ROC is restarting its training classes for adult students in the School of Health Sciences.  This includes Certified Medical Assisting, Certified Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide, Registered Dental Assisting, Dental Assisting, Emergency Medical Technician, Veterinary Science, Veterinary Assistant, Pet Health & Grooming, and Advanced Pet Health and Grooming.  The center is also organizing the restart of the School of Engineering and Design spring semester classes for adult students who will be essential service providers.  Contact Jennifer Pasavento at DrPesavento@scroc.k12.ca.us for details, or check SoCal ROC's website.

  • Showers will be available at San Pedro United Methodist Church on Wednesday, August 19th from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm. Participants will also receive a bag of clean clothes and a meal-to-go.  Click here to view the event flyer.  Contact Lisa Williams at pastorlisa.sanpedroumc@gmail.com for more information.
    ​
  • Rainbow Services is continuing to work with "Project Safe-Haven." This program shelters DV survivors temporarily in motels, thus extending the County's interim housing capacity. It is currently scheduled to run through the end of August, with the hope that additional funding will be secured to continue its operation through the end of December.  Currently they are not taking any new participants until it can determine if there are addition rooms open in this program.  Questions can be sent to Carielle Escalante at cescalante@rainbowservicesdv.org.

  • School on Wheels is a program matching tutors with students experiencing homelessness.  It has moved to a 100% online format.  They are looking for more tutors and school-aged children who could benefit from this weekly support.  Additionally, the program is offering Chromebooks for students lacking a means to connect online.  Contact Carlie Whittaker at cwhittaker@schoolonwheels.org, or go to the agency's website for more information and to sign up to become a tutor. 
June 24, 2020

2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count:
SPA 8/South Bay Results
​
This morning SBCEH shared and discussed the results of the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count for SPA 8/South Bay at its general meeting. The presentation included context on the Count's usage, 5-year trend information, methodological change notes, and an overview of the next wave of Count data to be released by LAHSA.

Here is a link to our 2020 Homeless Count presentation:

sbceh_hc_2020_spa_level_-_general_mtg_presentation_-_6-24-2020.pdf
File Size: 810 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
June 14, 2020

Housing Equity and Justice
To continue building the momentum for racial equality in homelessness solutions, we encourage you to get involved with local initiatives, including:
  • Joining United Way Greater Los Angeles' Everyone In campaign.  It sends out a weekly email highlighting actions being considered before the City of Los Angeles and the County Board of Supervisors regarding housing or homelessness in which you are encouraged to provide public comment.  It also provides community advocate training opportunities and notices of local homelessness events.

  • Subscribing to Housing Justice LA Podcast.  Molly Rysman (Supervisor Kueul's Housing and Homelessness Deputy) and LaRae Cantley (advocate with lived experience) created a podcast featuring personal conversations with LA County leaders about homelessness and housing justice.
Picture
June 12, 2020
​
This morning the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) released the first set of Homeless Count 2020 results:


​
Major changes to sub-populations include:
  • Among people 62+, homelessness increased by 20%
  • Young adults, or Transitional Aged Youth ages 18-24, rose by 19%
  • Families (with minor aged children) went up by 46%, with the percentage who were unsheltered increased by 83%

This information is posted on LAHSA's website, including a briefing with the Count highlights.  The release of detailed data summary sheets will follow.
June 7, 2020
(Graphic Source: NPR's Code Switch, https://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/865261916/a-decade-of-watching-black-people-die)

Horror. Outrage. Injustice. Sadness. Grief.
 
We all feel these and other emotions after yet another senseless killing of a Black individual. Racial and institutionalized inequities in our society are now more than ever being appropriately magnified across the systems of justice, education, health care, employment, and housing. Now is the historic moment to make lasting, systemic changes to ensure future generations of all people can truly live America's promise of equality for all.
 
There are many opportunities for your direct and sustained involvement to help forge this change. We can assist in helping you seek organizations that are closely aligned with your passions. Our collective voices are powerful and have a true impact on our systems of government, and we will continue to suggest ways in which you can be a vocal advocate. 

Along the way, we also encourage you as change-makers to review the following racism and homelessness studies and resources with fresh eyes that may reveal important insights:


Rev. Deborah Lee with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity wrote this prayer that eloquently captures our immediate raw emotions, as well as the call to be good allies for institutional and social change.  Let us work together to make these words our new reality:

Healing. Justice. Reform. Equality. Unity.

May 18, 2020

Project Roomkey Information
Project Roomkey is a collaborative effort by the State, County, City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to secure hotel and motel rooms for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, with a focus on seniors 65+ and individuals with existing health conditions. It provides a way for people who do not have a home to stay inside to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

On Friday, May 15th, LA County reported there are 26 Hotel/Motel Roomkey sites operational, with 2,207 people in these venues.


In recognition of COVID-19's disproportionate impact on communities of color, LAHSA created the COVID-19 Racial Equity Resource Guide to underscore the importance of providers' efforts to counter structural inequities and remove implicit bias as they work to provide equitable access to vital resources in this crisis. 

There have been several questions raised about the next steps for the Roomkey participants.  At the May 12th Board of Supervisor's Meeting, LAHSA was directed to develop a COVID-19 Recovery Plan related to people experiencing homelessness that will address this.  A plan framework will be presented in 15 days, with the full plan due in 30 days presenting the goals and objectives for this effort.
March 22, 2020

In response to all the actions underway regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, our coalition leadership feels the urgency to support our South Bay organizations that are able to continue providing assistance to our disadvantaged neighbors.

Their need for food and cleaning supplies has intensified as many local meal programs and pantries have had to temporarily shutter their operations.  Compounding this are low-income families who have never sought these services and are now finding themselves struggling to make ends meet.  I witnessed this surge at St. Margaret's Center this past Friday, where they saw a 200% increase in the number of families seeking food. This is why we are asking our coalition members to do what you can to bolster the supplies at the shelters and pantries that have remained open.  As you are able, please support the agencies below - as well as others that you know of - by doing any of these suggestions:
  • When you are out shopping for your personal needs, consider picking up a few of the requested items, especially difficult to find cleaning products. Ordering them at your favorite online retailer for direct delivery is a great alternative.
  • If you have contacts with local business mangers, schools, or faith organizations whose onsite gatherings are on hold, inquire if they are able to donate a few of their cleaning supplies that they already have on hand. 
  • Consider making a monetary donation. Agencies can stretch your dollars by making bulk purchases, and it is a safe and convenient way for you to show your support.
  • Help spread this urgent need to your family, friends, and colleagues.

We ask that you first contact the agency that you wish to support to confirm their needs and operating hours.  If you have donations but are not able to deliver them safely, please reply to this email and our coalition will help make these arrangements.

In addition to the specific organizational contacts and needs information provided below, we want to highlight:
  • The Salvation Army Stillman Center in Harbor City has temporarily extended its hours to meet the significant influx they have experienced.  After its 9:00 am weekday opening, it will remain open Monday through Thursday until 4:00 pm, and on Friday's until 5:00 pm. 
  • Doors of Hope women's shelter in Wilmington is seeking organizations that can provide to-go meals.  If your church's meal ministry is on pause, please consider contacting them to explore how you might shift your ministry to help them at this time.
  • St. Margaret's Center in Lennox is one of the LA Regional Food Bank's partner distribution centers, so while they have ample food at this time, they are in need of volunteers who can help pack groceries. Protective gloves and masks are provided, and there is no volunteer contact with the families receiving food.
  • Community Child's in Lomita, in additional to operating a transitional housing program for single mothers with infants, also spearheads a grocery give-away program with nearby public elementary schools.  With their recent closures, many families - along with seniors - are coming to its center for food.

Other food resources that you might find helpful at this time:
 
Organization: St. Margaret's Center (part of Catholic Charities)
Location: 10217 S Inglewood Ave, Lennox, 310-672-2208
Contact: Yesica Villalobos, yvillalobos@ccharities.org,  or Mary Agnes Erlandson at MAERLANDSON@ccharities.org 
Financial Contributions: Checks of any amount are appreciated, mailed to its location.
Needed Donations:
  • Large plastic handled bags
  • Volunteers to help pack bags of food

Organization: Harbor Interfaith Services
Location: 670 W. 9th St., San Pedro
Contact: Martha Flecha-Raza, mflecharara@harborinterfaith.org, 310-831-9123 x245
Financial Contributions: Click here for more information
Needed Donations:
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Food or hygiene items: please order them online for delivery directly to its center
  • Please note: they are not taking clothing donations at this time

Organization: Rainbow Services
Location: 453 W. 7th St, San Pedro, 310-548-5450
Contact: Front Desk: Carlos Ramirez or Maria Hernandez at 310-548-5450 for donation drop-offs, or Tatiana Dorman at Tatiana.Dorman@RainbowServicesDV.org for additional questions.
Financial Contributions: Click here for more information

Needed Donations:
Organization: Salvation Army Stillman Sawyer Family Center
Location: 820 Lomita Blvd, Harbor City
Contact: Ernesto Madrid, 310-835-1986, 310-370-4515
Financial Contributions: Click here for more information
Needed Donations:
  • Vienna Sausages, Canned Tuna, Spam
  • Beef stew in cans
  • Noodles (Ramen, spaghetti, macaroni)
  • Bags of Rice or beans
  • Canned fruits or veggies
  • Bottled water or juice in individual servings
  • Shampoo in travel size
  • Purell or liquid soap

Organization: Doors of Hope Women's Emergency Shelter
Contact: Laura Scotvold-Lemp, office: 310-518-3667, cell: 310-347-9170
Financial Contributions: Click here for more information
Needed Donations:
  • Volunteers: in the morning to help with intake on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, every Thursday; help at 3:00 any day to help with guest activities
  • Organizations who can help provide to-go plates
  • Wipes
  • women's underwear sizes 5 - 12
  • snacks for their guests
  • sandwich baggies and quart size baggies

Organization: Community's Child
Location: 25520 Woodward Ave., Lomita
Contact: Tara Nierenhausen, admin@cchild.org; DeDe Ornelas, Dede.0@cchild.org, 310-534-4040
Financial Contributions: Click here for more information
Needed Donations:
  • Financial contributions are best, allowing them to stretch contributions by purchasing food in bulk
  • hand sanitizer
  • Toilet Paper
  • Water
  • Masks and Gloves for volunteers

Organization: 1736 Family Crisis Center
Location: 21707 Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 300, Torrance
Contact: Michele Nadeau, michelefor1736@gmail.com, cell:(323)387-9445
Financial Donations: Click here for more information
Needed Donations:
  • Full-sized toiletries (hand soap, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, etc)
  • Diapers (all sizes but mostly 5 and 6)
  • Baby Wipes 
  • Formula
  • Canned food

Organization: Mental Health America of Los Angeles (MHALA)
Location: The Village, 456 Elm Ave, Long Beach
Contact: Marjorie Solorzano, msolorzano@mhala.org, 562-366-6085
Financial Donations: Click here for more information
Needed Donations: Please contact Marjorie before dropping off donations
  • Food (perishables)
  • Toilet Paper
  • Hand Soap
  • WateR
March 22, 2020

Thanks to the tremendous leadership at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, and numerous service providers, there has been a whirlwind of COVID-19 activity these past two weeks.  Here are the latest homelessness-related announcements from across the county.

LAHSA COVID-19 Portal
LAHSA created this webpage that provides links to local and national homelessness resources related to the COVID-19 response.  We invite you to check it often as it is updated frequently.

Special LAHSA Email and Hotline for Homeless Service Providers
LAHSA established a special email where provider questions regarding COVID-19 can be submitted: COVID19@lahsa.org. It has also set up a "Provider Hotline" operated weekdays from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at 213-233-4796.   Staff will record all questions and publish an FAQ the next day providing answers to questions received the previous day on its COVID-19 Portal.  All service providers and shelter operators are invited to use these resources, even if they are privately funded.

Street Outreach and LA-HOP.org Update
Street outreach is continuing, with all staff having received special training on how to keep themselves and those experiencing homelessness safe. We are encouraging the public to continue using LA-HOP.org to report people in need, but ask that they recognize outreach staff is refocusing on supporting the COVID-19 response on our streets.

Winter Shelter Programs (WSP) Update
Many WSPs are now operational 24-hours a day and have extended their season beyond the traditional March 31st closure date.  The one operating in Service Planning Area (SPA) 8/South Bay in Long Beach is providing 'round the clock service through September 30th.  Please see LAHSA's announcement for additional details.  The Winter Shelter Hotline at 1-800-548-6047 is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for program updates.

Hand Washing Stations
Hand washing stations have recently been set up throughout the County, including 17 in SPA 8.  Click here for their locations.


City of Los Angeles New Emergency/Crisis Shelters
The City of Los Angeles opened eight new emergency shelters on March 20th, located at city parks and recreational centers. Five additional shelters are scheduled to open shortly, with a total of 42 planned.  Buses will run a set route from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm with pick-up locations. Walk-ins are also permitted.  Each is staff by the City's Rec & Parks Department, LAHSA, and LA County Department of Mental Health.  

Facility NameAddress# Beds
  • Granada Hills Recreation Center, 16730 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, 91344, 80 beds
  • North Hollywood Recreation Center, 11430 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601, 110 beds
  • Yosemite Recreation Center 1840 Yosemite Drive Los Angeles, 90041, 100 beds
  • Echo Park Community Center 303 Patton St. Los Angeles, CA, 90026, 100 beds
  • Pan Pacific Recreation Center, 7600 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, 90036, 210 beds
  • 109th Recreation Center 1464 East 190th St. Los Angeles 90059, 70 beds
  • Westwood Recreation Center, 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025 210 beds
  • Cheviot Hills Recreation Center 2551 Motor Avenue Los Angeles, 90064, 120 beds

LA County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Benefits
In accordance with Governor Newsom's Executive Order, all DPSS benefits, including Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief benefit payments, will be issued without interruption for the months of March, April and May 2020.
 
Census 2020 Update
The US Census Bureau has suspended field operations for two weeks and delay its shelter enumeration for one month to April 29, April 30, and May 1. This applies to emergency and transitional shelters, soup kitchens, mobile meal sites, and outdoor locations such as encampments.

While we will continue to provide highlight summaries, we anticipate our Announcements emails will be sent out intermittently in the coming weeks. We welcome your feedback on them so we can be responsive to your needs (e.g., would you like to see additional details, have more frequent updates as new information is made available, etc.).  As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
March 12, 2020

We have canceled our upcoming March meetings because of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) concerns.  Please note this applies to both our General Meeting (on March 25th) and Advocacy Meeting (on March 18th).  We are very appreciative that our March guest speaker, Kris Freed of LA Family Housing, has graciously rescheduled and will be discussing her agency's "Shared Housing Pilot" at our September 23rd General Meeting.

We will be reassessing when to resume our meetings on a month-by-month basis.  We invite you to continue scanning our weekly Announcements emails, which highlight local and national news about homelessness.

To help keep you informed on the latest regarding Coronavirus, LAHSA has created a COVID-19 portal containing guidance for LA County's homeless services community.
​
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you have. We appreciate your understanding at this time.
March 2, 2020

"Public Charge" Final Rule
At our February General Meeting last week, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Legislative Affairs Analyst Traci Kawaguchi gave an update on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's "Public Charge" rule that went into effect on February 24th.  She shared LAHSA's Information Sheet explaining this ruling categorizing the status of immigrants based on them becoming reliant on public services, along with Protect Immigrant Families' "Does This Apply to Me" Guide in English and Spanish.  LAHSA's list of lmmigration legal agency referrals was also made available.  There is still much confusion and concern surrounding this ruling, so please help spread the facts about it.
January 26, 2020

We wish to extend our sincere thanks to you for supporting our South Bay Homeless Count.  With over 750 pre-registered signups, we had another terrific turnout and were able to complete 99% of our region in a single night! (We will achieve 100% completion very shortly.)  Our collective success was also largely due to the following, who led our deployment sites:
  • Inglewood: Cinder Eller with the Inglewood Police Department
  • Lennox: Nicole Powell with Supervisor's Ridley-Thomas' Office 
  • Gardena: Raul Alarcon with the Gardena Police Department and Jackie Coppa with the City of Gardena
  • Hawthorne: Von Norris with the City of Hawthorne
  • Lawndale: Diane Parsley with the City of Lawndale
  • Manhattan Beach: George Gabriel with the City of Manhattan Beach
  • El Segundo: Marco Lemus with the El Segundo Police Department
  • Hermosa Beach: Nico De Anda-Scaia with the City of Hermosa Beach
  • Redondo Beach: Ronson Chu with the LA City Attorney's Office
  • Torrance: Dom Megerdichian and Viet Hoang with the City of Torrance
  • Carson: Amanda Valorosi with the City of Carson
  • Palos Verdes Cities: Jeannie Naughton with the City of Rolling Hills Estates
  • Harbor Gateway: David Matthews with the Northern Harbor Gateway Neighborhood Council
  • Harbor City: Sharon Lee with Kaiser Permanente South Bay
  • Wilmington: Rafael Garcia and Ben Alvarez with Providence Little Company of Mary
  • San Pedro: Kathleen Martin with the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council
  • Avalon: Rocio De La Cruz with the City of Avalon
Final shout-outs go to the staff at Harbor Interfaith Services, PATH, St. Margaret's Center, and LAHSA HET and HOST for canvassing special hard-to-reach tracts; all the local first responders and additional city staff who provided vital support; and to Steve Yu, our LAHSA Homeless Count lead.

Official Count results will be announced by LAHSA, historically in late May for the County and Service Planning Areas, and summer for the city-level results.
Homeless Count 2020 Results
Click here to view the LA-HOP.org flyer to connect someone living unsheltered with a street outreach worker.
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 Click here to get the facts on common homelessness myths
Measure H 
Information on how the Measure H funding will be used is highlighted on the County's Homeless Initiative website
Domestic Violence Heightened Concerns
The ongoing stay-at-home directive is having a devastating effect on domestic violence (DV) victims.  It is also creating a potentially unsafe breeding environment for new DV cases, highlighted in this Los Angeles Time article. Please help spread these DV hotline numbers widely:
This website and other support are provided by a generous grant from 
Kaiser Permanente South Bay.