L.A. Family Housing programs and resources.
Low income families across Los Angeles County can get receive shelter and help in locating a new home or affordable apartment from L.A. Family Housing. The non-profit organization offers a number of services to residents that are struggling to keep up with their rent or that are currently homeless, and the number of solutions available from the agency in the San Fernando Valley and other regions are extensive.
More details on their services are below, however not only can housing needs be addressed, but they also provide support such as credit counseling, free meals, job placement, and other assistance that is aimed at self-sufficiency. L.A. Family Housing takes a holistic approach to helping the less fortunate in the county.
Housing solutions in Los Angeles
Transitional housing is available from a few different programs, and this will allow families, including veterans, a place to stay while they work towards independent living. There are also accommodations for single moms and the formerly homeless in the Los Angeles County area.
Homeless children, as well as their families, can benefit from the Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living Center. There are apartments for those with a disability or HIV/AIDS, and even veterans from the county with children can use the center. Comunidad Cesar Chavez is another option, and this focuses on the Eastern Los Angeles area. Residents of North Hollywood can receive assistance from the Trudy and Norman Louis Valley Shelter, and this also supports the homeless.
Services arranged at these sites will be free meals for the children, access to a computer lab, and there will be support in helping them attend a local school and have any health care needs met. LAFH notes that these transitional housing sites help clients gain self-sufficiency. Then, after these barriers have been addressed, the family or individual will placed into the long term, permanent housing.
There are programs focused on veterans as well, as they make up a much too large percentage of the homeless and struggling in southern California. Valley Shelter and other sites offers a veteran’s program specifically designed to provide them with benefits advocacy, free health care, employment search services, and permanent housing placement assistance. There is also help for mental health needs, if that is their challenge.
There are a couple dozen other temporary facilities operated by L.A. Family Housing. Guests of these centers will have a place to stay and be able to partner with a case manager on locating and moving into permanent supportive housing, and this can include exploring financial aid programs for paying expenses such as a security deposit on the new home. Or work with the case manager to apply for benefits such as HUD section 8 vouchers, which can be used for paying the rent on the apartments managed by the community.
Guidance and self-sufficiency services from L.A. Family Housing
Much of the self-sufficiency is from the LAFH Housing Resource Center. This is where staff offer clients help with a housing search, administer advice for moving in to a new home, provide referrals, and follow up to tenants if / when they are faced with eviction. The goal of the HRC center is also strengthen a family’s self-sufficiency and ensure they remain in stable housing.
Case managers from L.A. Family Housing can help residents move into furnished apartments in the Valley area or county. They also offer information on applying for Section 8 vouchers or any other local or national rental assistance programs. Also, information for ongoing support, such as job placement, is coordinated with the family. All of these resources are provided in partnership with other organizations such as Hillview Mental Health Center, PATH, Homes For Life, and many others.
Employment assistance is available to either people seeking a job, or those that just need new skills. After all, a key to increasing income and paying rent in the future is a decent job, that ideally has full time hours and benefits. So counselors from LAFH help people find viable employment in Los Angeles County.
As part of this process, there will be job readiness and placement services, as well as ongoing follow up. Employment Counselors assess individuals from the community for job skills, assist with resume development, review their past work history and more. They run a free computer lab for the public in which they can use to gain skills or search for job, and the counselors also partner with other non-profits and even employers in the region to place clients. Some of them include El Proyecto del Barrio, the Northeast San Fernando Valley WorkSource Center, and Chrysalis.
The Los Angeles Unified School District’s Homeless Services as well as LAFH partner together on Educational Enrichment. This is for both children and parents, and can provide them with After-School Tutoring, School Enrollment and Reintegration, information on scholarships, and other support.
Financial Stability and Life Skills are for low income families, the working poor, as well as homeless. The goal is to help people improve their budgeting skills and financial habits. Working with a counselor, clients can benefit from debt and credit repair, increasing savings, filing for tax credits, and applying for benefits.
A series of workshops are held in the San Fernando Valley area, and some clients may receive one on one coaching. Also learn the ins and out of filing for bankruptcy and dealing with predatory lending challenges. Other workshops touch upon asset building and saving money. Offering Financial Stability is a key function of LAFH.
Assistance for basic needs
Basic needs are addressed by L.A. Family Housing. Those families staying in their apartments or transitional housing sites can receive free food, meals or personal hygiene items. If the individual needs clothing for an interview or first days of work, then this can be arranged too. The various services seek to promote a healthy-living environment for guests, and when combined with medical care, will address reduce health-related conditions.
Some of the medical care arranged by the non-profit, in partnership with clinics, includes treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, child examinations and immunizations, treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, dental care, x-ray and laboratory services, and more. If the homelessness is caused by mental health issues, then help for that is arranged too by counselors.
Food is provided by the Nutrition Program, which promotes healthy eating habits by clients, children, and the formerly homeless. There are soup kitchens and cafeterias which serve hot, balanced meals. There may be free fruits, vegetables, baby formula, and other items served in partnership with the L.A. Regional Food Bank and other charities.
The main address is 7843 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91605. Call the agency at (818) 982-4091 for details.
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