Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA County Announces Plan To Shelter Vulnerable Unhoused Angelenos In Hotels
()
Los Angeles County officials announced Wednesday a mammoth effort to shelter thousands of homeless people in up to 15,000 hotel rooms.
The hotels are intended to give these people a safe place to isolate during the pandemic.
“They are not sick when they go in. These are for people who are not experiencing symptoms, giving a place to shelter, so they don't contract anything,” said Heidi Marston, the interim director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Service providers and outreach workers are using L.A.’s homeless case management system to identify people outside who are over 65, or have underlying health conditions. The 2019 homeless count identified almost 14,000 people experiencing homelessness who are age 55 or older.
Support for LAist comes from
All sites will provide three meals a day, and 24-hour on-site security.
The goal is to minimize their chances of exposure to COVID-19, and keep the most vulnerable people experiencing unsheltered homelessness out of the hospital.
“By reducing the number of people in that high-risk group, we can reduce the risk that the broader hospital system will be overwhelmed by COVID-19,” said Phil Ansell, who directs L.A. County’s Homeless initiative office.
So far about 1,000 rooms have been leased, and negotiations on another 3,000 are nearly finalized.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist