Guest Opinion | Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Executive Director, Friends in Deed: The Beauty of Pallet Shelter Villages: Why Not in Pasadena?

If I ask whether you care about housing people who live on the streets, I imagine you’d answer “of course” and “they should be housed.” But when presented with practical solutions, particularly bridge or temporary housing, the answer from most people tends to be, “I’m not sure that’s the best idea” or “Sure, but not in my neighborhood,” or “Won’t that bring more drugs and crime?” So, instead of implementing a proven practical and successful model in our city, we continue repeating the same frustrating conversations, getting us nowhere, and leaving nearly 250 unsheltered people (many women and mostly seniors) languishing on the streets in encampments, at bus stops, and in doorways, without services, support or shelter.

To be fair, maybe you aren’t familiar with these successful transitional housing options. So let me introduce you to Hope of the Valley, a faith-based organization that has, with the support of LA City Council, using public funds and public land, created “pallet shelter villages” for temporary or bridge housing, in several different San Fernando Valley locations.

A few weeks ago, I visited the North Hollywood “village” and was amazed by what I saw. In a rundown park, already used by folks experiencing homelessness for makeshift encampments, Hope of the Valley created 200 beds of temporary shelter. Each pallet tiny home has a bed, a shelf space for belongings, electricity, air conditioning, heating and a door that locks! Also on site are bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities and even a dog run. There is a communal dining area and Hope of the Valley provides three meals a day. Case managers are available to work with individuals and to navigate them into bridge or permanent supportive housing. The village is watched 24-hours a day by security guards and cameras and residents are searched as they enter and exit and disallowed items (weapons, drugs, etc.) are kept in a locker outside the village.

I can hear what you’re thinking. “That’s great, but these things take years and loads of money to create; you said this was a practical solution.” Well, that’s what’s so amazing! It took about 90 days and $5 million to go from the dirt lot to the village I’ve described (pictured below). 200 people are now safely sheltered here and on their way to permanent housing!

Are you aware that Los Angeles City and County have proposed to build a pallet shelter village along the western edge of Pasadena? I’m sure you’ve noticed the homeless encampments under the overpass at the 134 Freeway and Figueroa, folks at the bus stops or on the corner where you wait for the light to turn green. These are the unsheltered people who would move into that village and not only find shelter, but have other basic human needs met and find themselves on the path to long term housing. Sadly though, the proposal was met only with complaints from homeowners, homeowner associations, and elected officials. The same old refrain of “this will only raise crime rates and drug use and be bad for our neighborhood.”

So, these folks, the majority of whom suffer with a mental or physical disability, continue to be abandoned by their community and even by the city officials who say they care. These are men and women in their 50s, 60s and 70s, living on the street, lugging all their belongings in cold, hot or rainy weather, with dirty clothes, empty bellies and an ever-growing mistrust of those who say they want to help but never follow through. Sure, there are also substance abusers, but they are in the minority, and are also worthy of receiving help for their addiction. These are individual human souls with histories and hopes for the future. They are not a monolith of homelessness.

I’m proposing that pallet shelter villages are a compassionate response to our fellow humans who have fallen onto difficult times. They are a practical and cost-effective solution to meeting basic human needs while permanent housing can be found, however long that takes. And they are structured in such a way as to alleviate the fears of their neighbors.

Are we going to be a city that only says we care about the plight of those experiencing homelessness, but who continues to deny that real solutions are available and working in cities all around us? Who will step up and join me? Who will work with Friends In Deed, and other partner agencies, on real solutions to homelessness in our city? I’m calling on those who have power to stop responding with fear and start responding with compassion. Start responding with “yes,” instead of “no” or “yes…but.” Stand up and do what is right.

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater is the Executive Director of Friends In Deed. www.friendsindeedpas.org.