VIDEO: Los Angeles Opens First Tiny Homes Village to Combat Homelessness

Los Angeles has opened its first tiny homes village in an effort to tackle homelessness, the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday.

In February, Amy Skinner got the keys to one of the 39 units on the one-acre plot located in a North Hollywood neighborhood and moved into the temporary space with her partner, John Golka, and their dog.

“Being able to lock the door and have a place to sleep is huge,” Skinner commented.

The Chandler Street village was created and funded by Los Angeles in response to the homelessness crisis.

“A 2020 tally found there were 66,400 homeless people in Los Angeles County — up more than 12% from the previous year,” the AP report continued:

More than 150,000 people are homeless statewide. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday during his State of the State address that he plans to commit $2 billion this year to create more housing for those without shelter, while simultaneously addressing mental health and substance abuse issues.

Ken Craft, CEO of the nonprofit Hope of the Valley, which is in charge of the Chandler Street location, said he asked neighbors if they would prefer a tent encampment or tiny homes on the plot.

“Here we have services,” he explained, adding, “Here people can start to chart a path out of homelessness.”

The nonprofit shared an aerial photo on February 10 of the Los Angeles community:

The units cost about $7,500 each and were shipped from builder Pallet Shelter in Washington. The project’s total cost was around $5 million, according to City Councilman Paul Krekorian’s office.

The Chandler Street residents’ goal is to stay a few months, then move on to more permanent housing.

In December, officials in Redondo Beach, California, began using tiny homes to help solve the area’s homelessness problem. Although its homeless population is estimated to be less than 200, officials experimented with ways to meet the need.

“We have had an increasing homeless problem and we needed a solution,” Mayor Bill Brand said at the time. “And we really didn’t want to just wait and see what happens, we wanted to take a proactive approach.”

Meanwhile, San Fransisco is confronting its homeless epidemic by spending $16.1 million on 262 tents.

“The tents will be placed in empty lots around the city, creating what officials are calling ‘safe sleeping villages.’ The city will also provide food and other services,” according to Breitbart News.