February 2020 Newsletter

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Resident Highlight: Meet Chester! Chester, a remarkably talented artist, is giving us a peek inside his home and a snapshot of his life after homelessness. From the photo of his first Christmas at the Star Apartments to the masterpieces he's working on today, we love seeing all he's accomplishing now that he has a home where he can heal and focus on his goals.

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Black History Month: A Focus on African-Americans and Homelessness

While we celebrate Black History Month we also want to acknowledge that there is a lot of work to be done to address inequality, especially when it comes to poverty and housing. We hope you will join us in the quest to ensure housing as a right for everyone. Did you know... African-Americans represent 13 percent of the general population but account for 40 percent of people experiencing homelessness and more than 50 percent of homeless families with children. People who are African-American make up 9% of the population of LA County, but more than one-third of the population is experiencing homelessness—an over-representation that is consistent demographically across other jurisdictions in the United States.  The National Alliance to End Homelessness offers these facts and a deeper look as to why African-Americans are over-represented in the homeless system. Read more here . You can also read the 2018 Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness from LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority). What can you do about it? Acknowledging the impact of systemic racism on current racial disparities in homelessness is an important first step towards addressing the issue.  Speak up. Attend your neighborhood, city, and county meetings to voice your support for affordable and permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Our neighbors on the streets need dignified places to live and services so they have the tools to start a new, successful chapter of their lives.

Vote! Vote! Vote! February 22 - March 3, 2020

Voters in L.A. County will now have 11 consecutive days to vote in-person at  any  Vote Center Countywide. Vote Centers for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election will be open  February 22-March 3. Voters can go to  ANY  Vote Center in L.A. County. Find a voting center near you by entering your address here . Find voter resources and information here . How to vote if you are homeless: "Courts have ruled that a homeless person may register to vote at a location they state is the place where they spend most of their time. The person must provide a description of the location that is clear enough for the elections official to establish that person’s right to vote in a particular precinct. This ensures accurate elections materials can be provided to this voter. In these instances, a mailing address should (but is not required) to be provided in order for the voter to receive election materials." Find more information here .

Volunteer: Tech Literacy Gurus Needed!

Chris, our VISTA Resident Tech Program Volunteer, and Ruby discuss digital file storage.

Do you consider yourself an Android smartphone expert? If you are highly proficient, and you would like to help others become more capable with their phones, we want to hear from you! The Skid Row Housing Trust's Digital Literacy program will hold open office hours from 9:30am - 3:30pm on March 5th in Downtown LA . These are walk-in opportunities for our residents to ask questions about their digital devices to help them become more tech savvy and independent. Any time commitment is welcome and greatly appreciated. If you have questions or can volunteer, please contact Chris, VISTA Resident Tech Program Volunteer, at christopher.vetanovetz@skidrow.org.

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Building Update: The Senator Currently undergoing a remodel, The Senator is an SRO (Single Room Occupancy) community in Skid Row that is home for 98 people, including 1 manager's unit. It was last renovated in 1994 and i n 1995 won the Pacific Coast Builders Conference “Best Affordable Housing Project Gold Nugget Award." 25 years later, it was time for an update. Residents will now be welcomed home with brighter lighting, a fresh coat of paint, a clean and upgraded kitchen, and much more to provide a dignified place where people can recover from homelessness and successfully move forward with their goals.

Resident hallway with new lighting and paint. The updated kitchen offers a vibrant space perfect for a healthy cooking class.

Join us on Wednesday, March 4th: Confronting the Land Use Challenges to Housing the Homeless Please join us as ULI-LA (Urban Land Institute LA) addresses the challenges of homelessness, with particular emphasis and focus on the best land use practices to support the development of housing solutions for the homeless. The program will build upon ULI’s national technical advisory report from 2018 and feature national, regional and local experts and housing providers. The full day program will host keynote speakers, interactive panel discussions, workshops and offer opportunity for housing and service providers to convene and engage with experts on this important topic. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.  Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 7:30am - 3:00pm PST The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels 555 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012-2702 *You must register to attend.

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Shop. Do Good. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. It's easy to do good every day! Go to smile.amazon.com Log into your Amazon account Select "Skid Row Housing Trust" as your charity of choice Hit "Select" and start shopping so Amazon can start giving! JOIN AMAZON SMILE

"What can I do if someone needs housing?" We get this question a lot! And we have some answers. Skid Row Housing Trust receives referrals for future residents from the Coordinated Entry System and the LA County Department of Health Services. However, people experiencing homelessness first need to be registered in order to receive housing and services and get a referral. You can help! Call 2-1-1 or visit 211la.org to find out what the hotline is for your nearest outreach team and how you can request help for someone experiencing homelessness.  Contact LAHSA's (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) hotline at 213.225.6581 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also make an outreach request via LAHSA's online portal here. If you or someone you know would like more information on how to obtain housing with Skid Row Housing Trust, please reach out to our leasing office and Housing Navigation Team at 213.623.9730 or find our more information here. Thank you for your concern and for helping our neighbors on the streets move closer to securing a permanent home!

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Careers with the Trust Want a job with purpose? Join our team! We are seeking talented staff for these roles: Project Manager, Real Estate Developer Maintenance Technician Case Manager Property Manager And many more... See all Trust career opportunities here .

Skid Row Housing Trust provides permanent supportive housing so that people who have experienced homelessness, prolonged extreme poverty, poor health, disabilities, mental illness and/or addiction can lead safe, stable lives in wellness.