In Los Angeles, Proposition HHH and Measure H have passed. County-wide funding has been devised and voted on, and the issue of homelessness is being prioritized. While the funding will bring new challenges ahead, there is now hope for fighting homelessness in LA as shelters and services take shape.
Building homes
One of the challenges that comes with the funding is that building the supportive housing will take time. Project lead times can take up to five years. Before construction even starts, time is also needed to plan for zoning, community, and building approvals. As the clock ticks, LA’s homeless will continue to have to make do on the streets and in shelters.
The LA Time reports that one LA architect is thinking outside the box in providing transition housing during this lag time through “Homes for Hope.” Working closely with Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, the mayor, LA housing authorities, council districts, Skid Row Housing Trust, the Downtown Women’s Center, and members of the homeless community, the architect has devised a “flexible, affordable, and code-compliant solution” for bridge housing.
Her Homes for Hope are prefabricated housing pods that can be transported via truck and installed with a basic forklift. They can be easily modified, and constructed and taken down easily, based on the needs of the area and the readiness of permanent housing.
Building hope
Inherent in the Homes for Hope is hope: A belief that solutions are being sought, even as the lead time for permanent housing draws out. The Homes for Hope provide an immediate sense of comfort and stability while the long-term provisions of Prop HHH and Measure H take hold.
In my work at the Los Angeles Mission, I see the power of hope every day. As people learn job skills, envision themselves re-entering society, and see how other believe in them and their potential, they become bolstered. Their pasts and challenges and the issues that led them to homelessness become surmountable, and they find hope in what could still be.
Prepare for greatness
The homeless housing architect, the students at Los Angeles Mission, and all of us every day can do our part to share this strength and hope. The new housing measures will bring vital funding to address LA’s homeless. But there will be challenges as city leaders determine what supportive housing looks like and where it will be built. As LA fights to end the homeless epidemic, the changing times will call for all of us to get involved, lend a hand, and believe in each other.
Steve Pomeroy is the founder of Big Change Advisors, an M&A consulting firm in Los Angeles focusing on middle market companies in the IT services space. Since 1992, Big Change leaders have completed over 38 transactions including M&A, Capital Sourcing, and Public Offerings representing over $800 million in total transaction value. Big Change Advisors donates a percentage of all fees to help serve the homeless through the Los Angeles Mission. To request a free consultant, contact us.
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