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Housing and Homelessness

LA Leaders Approve Shared Housing Program For Unhoused Angelenos On The Westside

An open hand holds a small set of keys and a house-shaped keychain with a door visible in the background.
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Maria Ziegler on Unsplash
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The Los Angeles City Council has approved half a million dollars for a shared housing program on the Westside.

The Self-Help and Recovery Exchange, or SHARE!, would administer the program and help place pairs of unhoused people in a fully furnished single-family home so each person would have a roommate.

Residents would need a source of income, such as social security or disability checks, to help pay some of the rent.

Councilmember Mike Bonin called shared housing a flexible solution that provides a “fast and inexpensive” intervention for anyone experiencing homelessness.

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“A roommate situation is not the ideal situation for everybody, but it is the right situation for some people," he said. "Not everybody needs a single unit apartment with supportive services; many people can get off the streets and stay off the streets with a less intense intervention.”

Bonin added that shared housing can be temporary or permanent, depending on each person’s needs. He said he’s hopeful the program will lead the city to embrace a wider variety of solutions to homelessness.

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