How Culver City Is Addressing Homelessness

From the City of Culver City: Culver City, like many other cities in Los Angeles County, is addressing a nationwide homelessness crisis. Per the latest L.A. County homeless count in January 2019, we had an estimated 236 homeless individuals in our city, including 43 sheltered homeless children and their families at Upward Bound House.

That statistic has been widely shared over the past nine months. What has not been as widely shared are the facts that in Culver City:

1. The City Council approved an updated Homeless Plan in July 2018, which included a five-year budget of $23 million in programming for affordable housing and homeless services. The program is funded through a combination of Federal Section 8 funds, Measure H funds, and the Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund from the former Culver City Redevelopment Agency.
2. In August 2019, the City Council approved the expansion of the homeless services outreach contract with St. Joseph Center to include evenings and Saturdays.

Culver City is releasing a series of interview videos that highlight the different ways the City is addressing homeless and providing support to our homeless community.

"Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis and we're seeing it grow exponentially here in Culver City," said Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells. "Safety among our homeless population is a key issue. And we've heard firsthand from individuals experiencing homelessness that they will come to Culver City because it is a safer city."

Culver City takes a service-based approach to homeless outreach. We do not criminalize homelessness. We are proud of our partnerships with St. Joseph Center and Upward Bound House to offer mental health support and emergency sheltering to our vulnerable homeless population. We are proud of our residents, who are compassionate and civically engaged, and who are being proactive in working with the City Council to identify long-term solutions to homelessness in our community. We are proud of our staff, especially our homeless services outreach team, who are making contact with our homeless population and ensuring they have access to resources, services and sheltering.

If you are a Culver City resident or business owner and know of homeless individuals or families who may benefit from services, please call the Culver City Homeless Info Line at (310) 253-6767 to share details with City staff. Visit the Culver City website at culvercity.org to learn more about how the City is addressing homelessness and the various Homeless Services available.