Politics & Government
49-Bed Shelter For Homeless Young Adults Opens In Pico-Union
The 49-bed site will serve unhoused young adults ages 18 to 24 with housing, counseling, education and job support.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez joined with service partners, youth advocates and community members Thursday to celebrate the opening of a new interim housing site in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The new interim housing site, called Nova, offers 49 beds and services for unhoused transition-age youth ages 18 to 24. Hernandez secured $1.03 million through the City Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention, HHAP-3, funding for the shelter.
Safe Place for Youth, a homeless service provider, will operate the site for a five-year period. At Nova, residents can stay up to 24 months and receive 24/7 individualized support such as mental health counseling, education and vocational guidance, job placement and case management focused on securing long-term permanent housing.
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"Every young person in Los Angeles deserves a chance at a future," Hernandez said in a statement. "A bed only goes so far. Young people need healthcare, job opportunities, education, mental health support and a pathway to permanent housing, and that's what Nova is building: a care-first model that doesn't just get young people off the streets but gives them the tools and support to change the course of their lives forever."
Ahead of the celebration, volunteers gathered Tuesday to assemble "Welcome Kit Backpacks" filled with blankets, shampoo, socks, laundry bags, reading lights and essential toiletries to make sure every arriving young adult is greeted with care.
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"For us, Nova represents the promise of new beginnings. It's more than 49 beds — it's 49 opportunities for young people to find stability, pursue their dreams and build a future on their own terms," Noelle Stanfield, co-chief executive officer of Safe Place for Youth, said in a statement.
The completion of Nova builds on Hernandez's priority of expanding care-first solutions and addressing homelessness across L.A. Council District 1, according to her office.
Hernandez recently unveiled a $9.07 million expansion of Northeast New Beginnings in Cypress Park that increased interim housing capacity to 152 beds.
City News Service
