County aims to help fund shelter
Torrance facility is in limbo with delay in federal money
A motion submitted by Supervisor Janice Hahn will call on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to seek alternative funding for Torrance’s planned collection of 40 tiny homes during its meeting today.
The Torrance City Council approved the city’s first homeless shelter in June, with construction originally projected to begin in the fall, but the timeline that must be followed for seeking the funding led to delays for the site. The main delay occurred because the guidelines have not been released for seeking funds from the $1.7 million meant for Torrance from the American Rescue Plan.
Those guidelines, according
to Torrance Deputy City Manager Viet Hoang, are expected sometime in November.
But Los Angeles County’s homelessness crisis is worsening, experts say, despite efforts to create shelter options. About 66,500 people were homeless in Los Angeles County last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2020 count, with 41,290 lacking permanent shelter in the city of L.A.
In Torrance, there were
FOR THE RECORD
332 people counted without homes, a 42% increase from the previous year, according to the authority. Roughly 270 people were determined to be unsheltered, with about 75 living on the streets as opposed to in a car, van or camper. This year’s count was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, further complicating efforts to keep pace with the crisis.
The local shelter is aimed at easing the issue.
The cost of the complex of small, prebuilt, individual structures is estimated at $230,000, including their purchase, preparing the site and erecting a perimeter
fence. The American Rescue Plan funds will go toward paying for 24/7 security, case management, meals, mobile showers, toilets and other expenses.
Hahn’s motion will call on the Board of Supervisors to approve a plan to expedite the funding process through a partnership with Torrance and the county’s Homeless Initiative. If the motion is approved, the county CEO will seek additional funding sources to cover the shelter’s operating costs and allow up to $450,000 to be drawn from Supervisorial District 4 homeless and housing discretionary funds.