Funding for this program from the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services will move more people off the street and into permanent housing.
National health Foundation (NHF), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of under-resourced communities, and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Supervisor to the Fifth District, successfully opened a new interim housing site for people experiencing homelessness on Monday, February 14th. Also on hand to celebrate the event were Glendale Mayor Paula Devine and Councilmember Ara Najarian.
While the annual Homeless Count by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in 2020 showed 66,436 people in Los Angeles County experiencing homelessness, each District, neighborhood and organization must continue to do its part to solve this crisis.
In that effort, this newly renovated, 36-bed facility will provide recuperative care services to those experiencing homelessness while connecting them to long-term, stable housing, and resources that support their continued path to wellness. Upward Housing, a local organization that sources, identifies, and attains properties for purpose-driven use, purchased, rehabilitated and prepared the physical grounds to become a place of transformation for National Health Foundation’s guests while they await their permanent housing placement.
As Michelle, one of the guests of NHF’s program, put it, “The program has made a huge difference in my life, by giving me a clean secure, safe place to live. Staff here have helped in matching me with permanent housing so I may be independent on my own again.”
For over a decade, the National Health Foundation has partnered with Los Angeles County through its Housing for Health Program to provide an unparalleled approach to care for its unhoused neighbors recovering from health challenges.
Staffed by 24/7 nurses and a dedicated team of social workers, our guests can recover from illness or injury in a home-like environment while receiving medical oversight and a co-created care plan that enables a pathway to health and housing.
“Today, we’re celebrating an important accomplishment in the fight against homelessness,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “This program offers a place to heal for medically fragile individuals who have nowhere else to go. Solving the homelessness crisis takes investment in program models that provide both housing solutions and support services, like this one. This model works.”
This ribbon cutting event was made possible thanks to the partnership between NHF, Supervisor Kathryn Barger and office, and Upward Housing.
About National Health Foundation
For 50 years, National Health Foundation (NHF) has advanced wellness for communities across Southern California through research, programs, and services that address acute and long-term health needs. NHF operates four recuperative care centers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties to provide trauma-informed services and support to individuals experiencing health challenges including homelessness. These care centers also serve as hubs, connecting the surrounding neighborhood to resources that activate wellness and strengthen the overall community so every individual can be as healthy as possible. NHF believes every neighbor deserves to be safely housed and connected to community, with full and equitable access to resources that activate health and wellness. For more information, visit nationalhealthfoundation.org.
For more information about the National Health Foundation, please visit nationalhealthfoundation.org or connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter (@NHFcommunity).