Planning with Compassion: Overcoming Hurdles for Homeless Housing

More than half of all people experiencing homelessness in the United States are in California. The governor’s office estimates that on any given night, there are approximately 170,000 homeless people on the street. COVID-19-related job losses and other health problems exacerbated the challenges facing this already vulnerable population.

Some jurisdictions have acted, including Los Angeles and San Diego County. With an unhoused population exceeding 40,000, the City of Los Angeles declared a state of emergency and enacted Ordinance 185490 – Emergency Homeless Shelters, and Executive Directive No. 24 – Building “A Bridge Home.” The resulting projects captured the public’s imagination and led to developing homeless housing such as the Chandler Boulevard Bridge Home Village, Alexandria Park Tiny Village Home, and Alvarado Tiny Homes Village. These tiny-home villages exemplify how Los Angeles is combatting homelessness.

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