Friends in Deed Gets More Money for Motel Voucher Program for Homeless

The City Council on Monday voted to amend the Housing Department’s Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget by an additional $100,000 for expenses associated with the provision of weather-activated motel vouchers to people experiencing homelessness.

The money will go to Friends in Deed which is currently running a voucher program.

Last month, the City Council approved funds for the nonprofit after Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater told Pasadena Now that they would have to ration hotel vouchers.

But that money will run out this week.

“It is projected that the $100,000 of General Funds approved in January will be expended by March 1,” according to a City staff report.

At that point, Friends In Deed will also have expended $78,810.60 of funding from other sources including $25,000 in federal Emergency Solutions Grant funding, LA County Measure H funding ($31,258.65), and unrestricted funds from private donations since the start of the 2023 winter season.

“As such, the Department requests an additional $100,000 from the General Fund which will be used to sustain the provision of weather-activated motel vouchers.”

The City has been without a Bad Weather Shelter since the pandemic began.

The City has contracted with Friends In Deed to provide motel stays to unsheltered residents when the overnight temperature is predicted to fall below 40 degrees, there is more than a 40% chance of rain, or winds are predicted to exceed 40 miles per hour, according to a City staff report.

The City Council voted to provide more money in response to an unusually cold and rainy early winter season which exhausted available grant funds, on January 18.

Since then, under Council direction, Friends In Deed has ramped up its motel voucher program to ensure that motel stays during inclement weather are provided to all who request the services, according to the report.