New shelter units open to fight growing homelessness in Northeast L.A.

This week, the Northeast New Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind model of interim shelter in Cypress Park, will open to up to 95 homeless individuals. 

Each tiny home will contain a restroom and shower, a kitchen with storage, and a bedroom, with additional onsite amenities such as a pet area and laundry services. 

The shelter is located in Los Angeles District 1, which encompasses neighborhoods such as Highland Park, Chinatown, Mount Washington, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Westlake, Pico-Union, Koreatown, Angelino Heights, Lincoln Heights, and MacArthur Park. The district has a 70% Latino population.

Last week, CD 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Northeast New Beginnings, joined by Mayor Karen Bass, Supervisor Hilda Solis, and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. Other representatives from the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, service providers, and community members were also present to celebrate the new site. 

Bass said she was excited to start the new year at a new interim housing ribbon-cutting. “I look forward to doing this as many days in a week as possible until we get all Angelenos off the street,” she said. “We can no longer continue to do this.” 

What differentiates New Beginnings is that in addition to transitional housing, people staying here will also receive three meals a day, benefits assistance, employment readiness and job placement support. In addition, the John Wesley Health Centers will also be on-site providing individuals with mental health services and substance abuse treatment.

Al Ballesteros, chief executive officer of John Wesley Health Centers, said they are very excited to see the impact these tiny homes can have on the community. “Our partnership with the city will provide for comprehensive health and mental health services for those coming off the streets and we hope that will provide them an opportunity for a new beginning,” he said. 

Because of the growing number of homeless individuals who have pets, the new shelter will also provide pet support amenities. 

In 2023, the growing trend of people experiencing homelessness grew in the city and county of L.A. The number of people experiencing homelessness has increased by 9% in L.A. County and 10% in the city since 2022, according to an annual report from the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority. The report provides a tally of people experiencing homelessness in LA County. In 2023, 75,518 people were counted, compared to 69,144 in 2022. 

“We know that our city is in the midst of a housing and homelessness crisis and we know that this crisis is disproportionately impacting many of our most vulnerable communities, including unaccompanied women, survivors of domestic violence, undocumented immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals, people of color, LGTBQIA people, people living with mental and physical disabilities and youth exiting foster care,” Hernandez said during the opening remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The project was a city and county initiative and was first announced in May 2022 by former CD1 councilmember Gil Cedillo. “The urgency of this crisis demands innovative solutions and deep collaborative partnerships, and that is exactly what you are looking at today," Hernandez said when talking about the building of Northeast New Beginnings. 

The new shelter located between Arroyo Parkway and the Golden State Freeway, was designed and constructed by Lehrer Architects (LA) and  Ford Construction. 

According to Lehrer Architects, the construction of this interim housing was significantly more difficult than other projects they have built throughout the city. “The site’s irregular shape and steep slopes, crisscrossed underground utilities, Caltrans easements, extremely poor soil conditions and surrounding freeways and major intersections all forced extreme limitations on access and construction," the Lehrer Architects stated on their website.

“I am glad that Northeast New Beginnings considers some of the best lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that we serve people experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect,” said Solis. “Amenities such as in-unit bathrooms, a dog run, and laundry service on-site show our unhoused neighbors that we are willing and able to provide safe, clean, and dignified interim housing which will serve as a stepping stone on their path to permanent housing.”

Hernandez's office said they have partnered with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency and their partners to develop an outreach plan to identify individuals experiencing homelessness in the district and Northeast Los Angeles area. 

Going forward, there will be a "by-name list" of people interested in staying at the new shelter. Individuals will be recertified every 3 months or 90 days to ensure progress, and although residency at the site has no time limit, this is not permanent housing. The ultimate goal is to have residents work with housing navigators to identify permanent housing options for them.