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Three years ago, voters took a hard look at the housing and homelessness crisis in L.A. and decided to do something about it. We passed Prop. HHH to create housing for thousands of people experiencing homelessness and have put more housing into the construction pipeline in the last three years than in the previous 30.

This month, to celebrate the passage of Prop. HHH, we’re sharing just a taste of the progress that our investments made possible. But while we champion each step forward, and each door opened to a new home, this is just the beginning. So much more housing is needed and we are campaigning hard to build support across L.A. County for long-term solutions. Homes end homelessness, and we won’t stop until we create enough supportive and affordable housing.

Here are four of the 112 buildings that voters in L.A. made possible. take a look at the real progress we’re making toward making sure everyone in L.A. County has the home they deserve.

Housing for seniors in L.A. County is limited, and we are committed to supporting our senior neighbors who have been forced into homelessness by rent prices. The 433 Vermont Apartments represent a $51.4 million investment to create 72 homes in Koreatown, 36 of which are supportive housing for those who need it most.

The six-story complex, developed by Meta Housing Corporation as part of L.A. County’s Vermont Corridor, will feature a 12,500 square-foot ground level YMCA, a central courtyard, and other shared spaces where residents can meet with service providers and build community.

In the Valley, progress is happening at Casa del Sol, a 44-unit affordable housing complex with 36 homes dedicated to low-income seniors. The plans focus on environmental efficiency, and feature 3,500 square feet of community space around the homes, including a community room and kitchen, lounge, outdoor courtyard, and onsite laundry. Our partners at a Community of Friends, the building’s nonprofit developer, are committed to providing comprehensive mental health services, life skills education, and legal counseling that will improve the mental and physical well-being of residents.

In West L.A., The Missouri Place Apartments will turn a shuttered animal shelter into 74 homes for low-income families and individuals, including 36 units reserved for people experiencing chronic homeless. The homes are an easy distance from the Expo/Bundy Metro station, and residents will be able to meet with service providers on site in dedicated offices and community spaces.

On the new campus of L.A.’s LGBT Center in Hollywood, nonprofit developer Skid Row Housing Trust is turning a parking lot into affordable housing for youth aged 18-25 who are experiencing homelessness. McCadden Plaza Youth Housing will provide transitional housing and specialized services designed to help at-risk youth attain and maintain stable housing. In Los Angeles, where 40% of young people experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, this type of housing is an important way we can support our most vulnerable young people. Plans for the Anita May Rosenstein campus also include a 100-bed youth shelter, a community kitchen, and 99 affordable homes for seniors. 

Supportive housing is incredibly effectiveat ending chronic homelessness. At least 90% of residents are able to maintain stable housing and experience improved health, financial stability, and self-sufficiency as a result of supportive housing services. 

We’ve committed to fight a humanitarian crisis that is a daily reality for nearly 60,000 people in L.A. County, a crisis with no pity. No pity for the mothers fleeing domestic violence with their children who have nowhere to turn, none for transgender youth who’ve been kicked out of their homes, for seniors who are no longer able to afford housing on their limited incomes. Homelessness doesn’t make an exception for people living with mental or physical disabilities, or for families with working parents who still cannot pay the skyrocketing cost of rent in a state that is home to 91 of the 100 most expensive zip codes in the United States. We share this as a reminder that we need to double and triple the amount of housing that has been approved so far—we must keep fighting for more. 

We think it’s incredibly important to identify and celebrate progress while acknowledging how much work is still ahead of us. Because if people lose faith in our collective ability to end homelessness, progress will only become more difficult in the future. The funding we voted for is effective, it’s just not enough. Let’s celebrate all that’s getting done, and let’s get out there and demand more.

We’re excited about all the supportive housing L.A. is creating for people experiencing homelessness, but we need to remember that 8,424 isn’t just a number—it represents real homes for real people. These homes will provide stability for veterans and seniors, people suffering from disability, addiction, and mental illnesses, vulnerable LGBTQ youth, and all of our neighbors experiencing homelessness. 

We’d like you to meet the four people whose faces you might have seen on billboards around town this November. These are some of our friends who have personally experienced the life-changing power of supportive housing: safe, affordable homes paired with on-site programs that provide physical and mental health care, job training and life skills, addiction treatment, counseling and support groups, and many other types of services for residents. Here are their stories. 

Lydia

About a quarter of the people experiencing homelessness in L.A. county are in need of supportive housing, and Lydia used to be one of them. A Southern California native, Lydia first experienced homelessness after her husband’s death drove her to alcohol and drugs in order to cope with her grief. Formerly a county worker, she lost her home, job, dog, and car as a result of her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. 

After Lydia had spent a number of years living outside, a caseworker she’d gotten to know approached her and asked to hear her story. As Lydia shared her story, the two cried together, and within two weeks the caseworker had paired Lydia with emergency housing, followed by targeted health services, and eventually supportive housing. Lydia points to the compassion of that caseworker as the turning point in her life. In fact, she still meets with a caseworker regularly, and together they review goals and talk through the supportive services that help Lydia continue to thrive.

Lydia has spent the last four years in stable housing, giving back to her community as a CHS Speak Up! Advocate and certified peer specialist through Westside Center for Independent Living & CSH Peer Support Program. Supportive housing made this reality possible for Lydia, it gave her the opportunity to heal and the resources to cope with her past trauma. As a peer specialist, Lydia uses her lived experience with homelessness to help others struggling to overcome difficult circumstances, through the work she helps give others the lifeline of hope that she was shown. 

Zondre

Last year, the L.A. homeless count revealed that the number of people over the age of 62 who were experiencing homelessness rose 22%, meaning that 5,000 of our senior neighbors are currently living without stable homes.

Zondre used to be one of them. She grew up here in Los Angeles, always doing her best to help her family maintain stability no matter what was going on around them. Years of struggles and incarceration finally ended for Zondre when she moved into her new home, part of a 50-unit supportive housing complex dedicated to our senior neighbors. After moving into her new home, Zondre was struck by the sounds of birds singing outside of her window. Throughout her experiences with incarceration and homelessness, she’d seen birds flying by, but had never been able to hear them—now their song joyfully welcomes her home.

Dede

Approximately 40% of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles report that they’ve experienced domestic violence at some point during their lives, many of them as children living in unstable homes.

Dede left home at 18, having already suffered mental, physical, and sexual abuse. She turned to alcohol and drugs in order to cope with the trauma she’d been through, developing addictions that resulted in the loss of her home. 

After experiencing homelessness for 15 years, supportive housing services helped Dede move into a home of her own, where she lives with her dog, Lucky Boy, and creates jewelry and artwork. Dede will marry her fiance Wilson next year.

Supportive housing works for people like Dede because in addition to a safe home, residents receive addiction counseling, mental health care, job training, and other supports that they need in order to overcome past trauma and gain independence. 

Our urgency toward the goal of #EveryoneIn never waivers, but we’re celebrating along the way because L.A. voted and more than 8,000 units of supportive and affordable housing are on the way for people like Zondre, Dede, and Lydia. Housing that, paired with critical services, will change lives.

Three years ago this month, people in the city of L.A. voted to tax themselves in order to create housing for their most vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness. Prop. HHH passed with more than 77% of the vote, showing overwhelming support for real, permanent solutions to this crisis.

In the years since, L.A. has approved funding for more than 8,000 units of supportive housing. To put things in perspective, the city was producing roughly 300 units a year before HHH. Add it all up and L.A. has approved more supportive housing in the last three years than it did in the previous 30.

Supportive housing is 90% effective at ending homelessness because it comes bundled with on-site services such as job training and mental health care. These homes are designed specifically for those who have the most difficult time staying housed.

Let’s be clear: Homelessness has gone up in the years since HHH passed. There are a lot of reasons for this, primarily the extreme shortage of homes people can afford. Roughly 600,000 people in L.A. spend 90% of their income on housing. Most of those people don’t need supportive housing—they need a home they can afford. According to the latest homeless count, 53% of unsheltered people in Los Angeles right now are experiencing homelessness for the very first time.

HHH won’t end the housing and homelessness crisis on its own. But it will provide safety and stability to thousands of the most vulnerable. And it is serving as a model, both locally and across the country, of how we can truly solve homelessness: by creating homes.

It’s important to remember where we were before HHH. We had no dedicated funding for housing or homelessness and no dedicated funding for homeless services. Los Angeles spent decades simply avoiding the problem and ignoring thousands of lives impacted by homelessness.

HHH ignited a movement. A few months after it passed, voters across L.A. County approved Measure H, which has tripled our homeless services system and committed real resources, for the first time, to services and solutions.

Everyone In was born in the wake of these two historic ballot measures with a mission to make sure the promised housing got approved and keep the momentum going to create more. It’s also our mission to call out success where we see it and keep L.A. unified and motivated to end this housing and homelessness crisis.

This month, we’re raising awareness about HHH and all the good work that’s happening. It’s easy to see tents on our streets and lose faith in our ability to solve big problems. We cannot allow that to happen. Share this post with someone you know and help us spread the word. Together, we will ensure Los Angeles continues to invest in housing and solutions that work. We cannot go back.

Everyone In is thrilled to announce our partnership with These Streets Magazine to produce short documentary films that tell the powerful, complex stories of homelessness in Los Angeles, as well as the efforts of those working to end this crisis.

We will release a new video in this five-part series each week.

Photo credit to These Streets Magazine.

Week of November 05: Our last video in our series with These Streets Magazine profiles Caleb Crowder, an #EveryoneIn organizer.

Caleb joined our campaign because he is deeply committed to fighting against the injustice of homelessness in Los Angeles. His energy and passion represents the spirit of our campaign.

Week of October 29: One day, Luis was ambushed by a gunman in his parking garage and a bullet entered the back of his head, exiting by his ear. This experience changed him, giving him a renewed sense of appreciation for life and a commitment to helping those less fortunate.

Today, Luis works for Walton Construction, building supportive housing units in the PATH complex on Beverly Blvd for families experiencing homelessness. He measures success by giving back to people in need.

Week of October 22: Yvette Grant, also known as Big Mama. It took 9 years for her to find housing, and in this video we explore her previous life on the streets and see firsthand the dangers our neighbors experiencing homelessness face every day. Big Mama’s story exemplifies why we are so committed for supportive and affordable housing across Los Angeles.

Week of October 15: Eric is an Outreach Supervisor with LA Family Housing, and someone whose personal story—experiencing addiction, homelessness, and incarceration—drives his work to help people in need find permanent housing and support. Eric is an advocate, and someone who is essential in our fight to get #EveryoneIn.

Week of October 8: This story is about a mother, Sharron, and her son James. After losing their home last year, they have been living alongside a river bank, surviving. Their story reminds us that even in the most impossible conditions, everyone is a human being worthy of dignity and safety. We must continue to push for the services and housing needed to help the thousands like Sharron and James.

Last week, hundreds of West L.A. residents, organizers, and activists gathered at Coffee Connection in Mar Vista to hear stories from their neighbors.

Like most of our Stories From The Frontline events, chairs filled up quickly.

Many stood in the overflow section at the back of the small auditorium, leaning in to better listen as each speaker shared their experience of homelessness, housing insecurity, trauma, addiction, or abuse.

The room was dark, lively, and attentive.

There were tears and sighs when those on stage spoke about their hardships, and raucous applause when they talked about their triumphs.

Every speaker ended with a resolute statement: “I am your neighbor.”

So much of what makes these Stories events so powerful is hard to capture in a blog post.

They are not just intended to give our advocates who have lived on the streets a platform to educate, but also to provide a forum for communities to come together and organize for solutions to this homelessness and housing crisis.

Those solutions—as nearly every one of our speakers mentioned—are housing and services.

That was the case for Lydia Garcia, who found stability and housing once a case manager took the time to hear her story. That case manager told her, “You don’t deserve to sleep outside.”

Or Christopher Lewis, a CSH Speak Up! Advocate who told us how supportive housing helped him get treatment for a serious mental health condition which had been undiagnosed for decades.

Or Dede Olivas, who overcame homelessness, abuse, and addiction, and recalled the first time she walked into her permanent housing: “I fell to my knees and prayed to God. Thank you. Thank you.”

We are grateful to all of our speakers, whose courage, resilience, and stories are what drive our movement.

They represent the proof that housing and services do indeed end homelessness, and that regardless of your housing status, you are a person worthy of love, dignity, and success.

That you are somebody’s neighbor.

We hope to see you at our next Stories From The Frontline event in November.

In recent years, homeless encampments have become one of the defining features of Los Angeles County’s landscape. There are many reasons why people experiencing homelessness may live in encampments, including the natural desire for a sense of community. However, the presence of encampments within some communities has led to tensions, often inflamed by myths that people living in encampments are dangerous, resistant to services, too challenging to engage with, or simply don’t want to find permanent housing. These are fictions.

The truth is no one would rather live in an encampment than a home. People want to come inside if there’s a place for them to go.

For many reasons, L.A.’s unsheltered population is much larger than that of other metro areas. With 44,214 unsheltered individuals, the need to create thoughtful, creative, and effective strategies to address encampments is especially urgent. In an effort to do just that, last year the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the Los Angeles County Health Agency, United Way, and the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative sponsored a pilot project, Encampment to Home. Specifically, the pilot sought to:

1. Show that people living in encampments, regardless of acuity, age, family composition, gender, health, and mental health status, want to move indoors;
2. Demonstrate how our burgeoning coordinated homeless system, combined with sufficient permanent housing resources, can effectively help this diverse group of encampment dwellers secure housing; and
3. Explore ways to improve and expand collaboration and connections between homeless subsystems and other important community partners.

In other words, we aimed to prove that with enough supportive housing, coordinated client-centered services, and strengthened collaboration between entities on all levels, we can collectively turn the tide of street-based homelessness.  

From February through November 2018, LAHSA, the Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System (HOPICS), The People Concern, the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Los Angeles Department of Health Services (DHS), and others worked intensively with people living in two large encampments in South L.A. These areas were reflective of the variety of people who experience street-based homelessness in Los Angeles, including individuals, couples, and families of all ages, genders, and needs. 

By converging on two specific locations, coordinated outreach teams were able to focus intensely on engaging unsheltered residents, building quick rapport and allowing for workers to expedite the housing navigation process. Biweekly coordination meetings between all partner agencies allowed for nimble, client-level conferencing and barrier-busting to streamline the move from street to home. And, because housing resources were committed to all those living in these encampments, clients were that much more motivated to participate.

Through the combination of this intensive joint outreach, coordinated housing case management and navigation, and resource availability, the project team was able to identify, assess, and provide housing resources to 130 households—all individuals and families who came from street-based encampments. Perhaps more importantly, a year after completion of the project, nearly 93% of those who moved into a permanent unit remain successfully housed. 

Based on this, we believe that the Encampment to Home project successfully demonstrated that:

• People do not want to be homeless. Regardless of their demographics, needs, or location, people experiencing street-based homelessness want to get off the streets and have a place to call home.
• Meeting people where they are (literally and figuratively) works. Having skilled outreach teams work intensively with people experiencing street-based homelessness is invaluable. Having the ability to follow someone throughout their journey into housing to help meet their needs—often significant and complex—is extremely effective.
• L.A.’s Coordinated Entry System (CES) is effective. Having two demonstration locations to test the components of L.A.’s Coordinated Entry System (e.g., identification, assessment, resource matching, and navigation with a goal of permanent housing) displayed how large numbers of people can be triaged, supported, and housed via our established system when it is resourced appropriately. 
• Permanent housing is the key. Having a variety of housing options that both align with people’s needs and do not require people to leave their broader region is crucial. 

At Everyone In we know that homes ends homelessness. The results of the Encampment to Home pilot further demonstrate this simple truth.

The people of the northwest San Fernando Valley have cast their votes, and they’ve chosen John Lee to represent them on the Los Angeles City Council.

We’d like to thank both Lee and Loraine Lundquist for their engagement on issues related to homelessness and housing, and especially for participating in our candidate forum that was hosted by Spectrum News 1’s Alex Cohen.

As we’ve noted before, CD12 is the only district in Los Angeles where zero units of HHH-funded supportive housing have been approved. Residents in CD12 and across L.A. are demanding housing solutions and our coalition made sure the candidates got the message.

During the campaign, John Lee made three key promises to our coalition and their constituents. He said he would:

1. Help create 222 units of supportive housing in the district
2. Support the renewal of Measure H to make sure homeless services continue to get funded
3. Meet with our coalition within 30 days of taking office

Now that the election is behind us, the real work to end homelessness in places like Northridge, Chatsworth, and Porter Ranch begins. With the help of thousands of Everyone In advocates, we plan on holding Lee to those promises and we look forward to working together.

CD12 has a lot of catching up to do and we need everyone in.

Last night’s Housing and Homelessness Candidate Forum in Northridge was a huge success, and we are so appreciative to the over 200 North Valley residents who came out, asked questions, and stayed to speak with candidates John Lee and Loraine Lundquist after the event.

Two key takeaways:

• Both candidates said that they would support the pledge to build 222 units of supportive housing in CD12. As moderator Alex Cohen mentioned, CD12 currently has 0 units of Prop. HHH-funded supportive housing, the only council district in the City of Los Angeles that has yet to approve any units.

• Both candidates said they would support renewing Measure H, the quarter of a cent sales tax to provide services and short-term housing for people experiencing homelessness.

You can dive more into last night’s forum on our Twitter page, which had an extensive question by question recap of the event.

Of course, we couldn’t have done this event without our steering committee partners (Coalition for a Just LA, SCANPH, LA Voice, Bend the Arc, and ACT LA), our moderator Alex Cohen, and both candidates who took the time from their busy campaign schedules to spend a night discussing issues of homeless and housing policy.

We urge everyone who supports these solutions to homelessness to attend our CD12 Postcard-Writing House Party on Monday, 8/5. Help us get out the vote and encourage our future council member to say “YES” to supportive and affordable housing in the North San Fernando Valley, and across Los Angeles. It will be fun, we promise.