We’ve made powerful progress in Venice. Through a joint effort between my office, Councilmember Bonin, and St. Joseph Center, we’ve successfully rehoused hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness. Sanitation crews have also serviced the vacated areas along the beach and boardwalk.

We know that the roots of homelessness run deep, but as I have always said, this is a human-created problem that can be a human-solved problem, too. This is the approach our outreach teams have used when offering support to our unhoused neighbors — people with unique stories, experiences, and needs. This work isn’t easy; but with time, care, and compassion, together, we can work toward solutions to the homelessness crisis. 

As of August 3, we’ve housed 211 people through St. Joseph Center — but creating a pathway to housing is just the beginning. St. Joseph Center also provides critical wraparound services like quality care for children, workforce development programs, mental health services, and much more.

These are the types of services that St. Joseph Center has provided to Nas and Sonya, two women who have been rehoused through Project Roomkey — an effort by the State, County, and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to provide vulnerable people experiencing homelessness with safe hotel and motel rooms throughout L.A. County.

Through this program, people like Nas and Sonya have a place to stay, feel safe, and — most importantly — have renewed hope for their future.

Keeping Angelenos Housed 
The incredible work being done in Venice is showing what is possible when we work together and help one another. But our work doesn’t begin or end here — we have programs and protections in place to keep people housed and prevent them from experiencing homelessness in the first place. 

To provide Angelenos with secure housing, we launched two programs to support our most vulnerable populations. 

Through the Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) Program, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) offers housing vouchers to Angelenos at risk of homelessness while offering incentives to property owners who make their units available, including a signing bonus, a security deposit up to two times the rental amount, and reliable tenant payments. 

Applications are open and the deadline to apply is September 30, 2023. Those interested can visit HACLA.org or email [email protected] for more information. 

We know that the pandemic took its toll on renters — an estimated one-third of households have struggled to pay their rent and faced losing their homes.

This is why we took the critical step of launching Stay Housed L.A. in partnership with L.A. County to provide free legal help, tenant workshops, and critical information about the protections in place for renters. 

And under California law, anyone who is unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19 financial hardship cannot be evicted. Tenant workshops help you understand these laws and plan for how to pay back rent.

Visit StayHousedLA.org or call 1-888-694-0040 to learn more and receive assistance. You can also sign up to receive updates from Stay Housed L.A.

Through the steadfast support of these programs and the continued efforts of our partners at St. Joseph Center and Project Roomkey, we remain committed to helping all Angelenos who are experiencing housing insecurity find suitable housing and a place to call home.

Strength and love to all of you.

Eric Garcetti
Your Mayor