Homeless Families Find Little Shelter, Study Says

Less than a quarter of homeless families in Los Angeles County can find beds at emergency shelters on any given night and those that find them are staying longer because of the high cost of rent, according to a new study.

Of the reported 8,200 homeless families in the county, only about 1,980 can find accommodations, according to the report released this week by Union Rescue Mission and the nonprofit Shelter Partnership Inc. The study is based on a written survey distributed last summer to 47 county agencies that operate shelters and transitional housing.

Questions focused on the extent of the homeless problem, its causes and the availability of support services. The response rate for the survey, which also asked for recommendations, was 77%.

Some key findings:

* Eviction was the most common cause of homelessness, accounting for 39.4% of families in shelters.

* One-third of the heads of household experienced substance abuse, mental illness or both.

* Short-term housing can accommodate about 1,980 families in 5,950 beds on any given night.

* Family homelessness is expected to increase because wage and benefit levels are not keeping pace with housing costs.

Based on the study’s findings, officials are advocating more transitional housing for families with specialized needs, development of more affordable housing and short-term rental assistance. They also announced plans to open Hope Gardens Family Center, a transitional housing facility in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest in Sylmar.

“What I most support is to have communities throughout the county carry their fair share of the responsibility of pulling people into, at a very minimum, a bed,” said City Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose 9th District includes skid row. “Hope Gardens is a really good example.”

Andy Bales, president of Union Rescue Mission, which will operate Hope Gardens, said the former senior center would reopen by July 1 at the earliest and no later than November. The organization, which operates a shelter in the heart of Skid Row, is waiting for occupancy permits from the county before it can move into the building, he said.

The $18-million facility, which will be paid for largely with donations and loans, will be able to accommodate up to 76 families, or 250 people. Its tranquil 71-acre setting will provide a safer environment for the women and children who use the mission’s services, Bales said.

“It’s secluded, it’s surrounded by the national forest. There’s green space, oak trees to sit in the shade and relax and air-conditioned apartments,” Bales said. “It’s a great place for mothers and children to get a chance to get their lives back in order.”

Opening Hope Gardens would also allow Union Rescue Mission to open its existing transitional housing space to more homeless people, he said.

The new facility is not without critics, however. A group of area residents vehemently opposes its opening because of concerns over crime and other problems.

But Perry and Councilman Jose Huizar, whose 14th District also includes a portion of downtown, said they strongly support plans for the new center.

“With more than 1,600 women and children existing in the peril of skid row,” Huizar said, “I applaud the efforts of Shelter Partnership and the Union Rescue Mission for tackling this crucial piece of the homeless issue.”