Posted on 06/14/2024
Dear Neighbors,
On June 13, I had the honor of joining the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), Mayor Karen Bass, and our City and County partners to celebrate the opening of the Welcome Navigation Center in District 9. This new facility marks a pivotal moment in our collective effort to tackle homelessness with the urgency and compassion it demands.
This 41-room, 24,000-square-foot facility introduces a new model for interim housing, designed to expedite the process of bringing our unsheltered neighbors indoors by eliminating typical barriers. The Center offers participants comprehensive support and wraparound services, aiming to transition them to permanent housing or a longer-term interim solution within just 30 days. With space for up to 80 individuals, the site includes common areas, a laundry room, an outdoor patio, and a pet relief area, ensuring a dignified and supportive environment.
Already, the Welcome Navigation Center is making a difference, providing services to more than 200 visitors since its soft launch in December 2023 and is showing promising signs of progress. This experimental program exemplifies our commitment to innovative solutions and tangible results in our quest to end homelessness in Los Angeles.
"LAHSA’s Welcome Navigation Center is a new and bold solution that improves the rehousing process by addressing multiple hurdles simultaneously," said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. "Compromised health conditions, lack of transportation, and inadequate documentation make it impossible for our unsheltered neighbors to start their housing application process. Through this pilot program, LAHSA and its partners provide critical services under one central location to expedite their journey home."
Together, we are making strides towards a brighter future for all our residents.
In solidarity,
