LOS ANGELES (CNS) - As part of his effort to establish more housing for homeless people in Skid Row, Councilman Kevin de León is calling for Los Angeles to determine the feasibility of transforming a large former storage facility into a temporary shelter.
De León filed a motion toward the end of a lengthy Wednesday council meeting that would transform the existing structure, located at 796 Stanford Ave., into a temporary living facility for homeless people.
“We cannot cheat, cut corners or shortcut our way out of the devastating housing and homelessness crisis before us,'' de León stated. “We are looking closely at any and all state, county, city and even privately owned sites as potential locations for new housing construction or to repurpose existing structures, so we (can) start bringing our unhoused neighbors indoors.''
The privately owned property at Stanford Avenue also has an additional 8,000 square feet of patio space, according to de León's motion.
In his first Los Angeles City Council meeting since being sworn in earlier this month, de León introduced two motions last week to increase the number of transitional housing units for homeless people throughout his district, which includes all of Skid Row, portions of downtown and Boyle Heights.
The first motion seeks to establish a partnership between the city and county of Los Angeles to build up to 232 homeless housing units on a newly purchased lot. These new beds would be constructed at 1060 N. Vignes St., between Union Station and the Homegirl Cafe.
The motion seeks funding for the transitional housing to cover $55 a night from March 1 to June 30, 2025.
De León's second motion seeks additional locations to construct homeless housing, directing city departments to determine the feasibility of new projects at nine private property sites within the district.
A half-dozen of those sites are in heavily industrial areas in and around downtown, where the greatest need for shelter is concentrated, de León said. The remaining three sites would serve Boyle Heights, the Arts District and El Sereno.
De León was appointed earlier this month to fill the District 14 seat that had been vacant since Jose Huizar was suspended from the council in June.
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