Hollywood Homeless Shelter Greenlit By City

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to construct a temporary bridge housing facility in Hollywood, the second shelter to be opened as part of Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Bridge Home" program.

The development plan for the site at 1533 Schrader Blvd. was approved on a 13-0 vote, along with a budget of just over $3 million.

"It's going to be the second one in the city, and I know that there are many others on the way, but we need to celebrate these actions," O'Farrell said before the council vote. "What we do today will enable us to open this bridge housing by January."

The mayor and the City Council have dedicated $20 million for the Bridge Home program in the current fiscal year, and Garcetti also said tens of millions more could be available now that the state is expected to provide the city with $85 million in budget surplus money for homeless programs. The goal is to have at least one temporary facility in each of the 15 council districts.

The Bridge Home program calls for the installation of temporary shelters in the form of trailers, large tents or empty buildings, with 24-hour security and on-site support workers offering services in an attempt to transition people into permanent supportive housing or drug treatment programs. The shelters would be designed to hold several dozen to 100 people.

The facility in Hollywood is to be open for up to three years and temporarily house up to 70 people at a time, and provide them with numerous support services, on a city-owned parking lot.

The site plan calls for a 7,200-square-foot tent structure, a hygiene trailer, an administrative trailer, an outdoor dining area and storage space.

"I want to thank the community for working with my office to make this happen in the 13th District," O'Farrell said. "The support from area stakeholders, businesses and organizations underscores the urgent need for a solution to address the homeless crisis across the city."

The city has completed one temporary shelter near the El Pueblo historical monument as part of the effort to control the massive growth of the city's homeless population, which has spiked in recent years to more than 31,000.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is recommending that the Hollywood facility be operated by two service providers with experience in Hollywood: PATH and The Center at Blessed Sacrament.

"Thank you to Councilmember O'Farrell for leading this vote and paving a way forward in the community's effort to solve our homelessness crisis," said Joel John Roberts, CEO of PATH. "It is up to all of us to take care of those in our community who need it most. And just like with this project, it will take the entire community, elected leaders and nonprofit partners to solve the city's homelessness crisis once and for all."

O'Farrell also introduced a motion requesting reports on establishing permanent supportive housing at the Schrader lot once the bridge housing facility service ends in three years.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock