Today Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian officially opened the Alexandria Park tiny home village in North Hollywood. Built and funded entirely by the City, the site has 103 individual shelters and200 beds, the largest of its kind in the state.The Alexandria location is the second tiny home village Krekorian has opened in his district in 2021. The first, along Chandler Boulevard in North Hollywood, contains 39 shelters and 75 beds. It has been at or near capacity since opening in early February, with a waiting list.
My staff and I continue to exhaust every available resource to provide outreach, services, shelter, and, ultimately, permanent housing to individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the entire Second Council District, Krekorian said. With the completion of this project, together with my three previous bridge housing projects, we are close to achieving my goal of providing enough shelter for every single person currently living on the sidewalks or in the parks of my district.
Krekorian noted that the clients of the Alexandria Park village will be people who are currently living unhoused in the surrounding area.
Both the Alexandria Park and Chandler villages represent a fresh, secure, and humane new approach to temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. Each tiny home features two beds, heating and air conditioning, windows for fresh air, storage space and shelving. Perhaps most important to the residents, each cabin has a locking door, providing the first real sense of security that many residents have had in a very long time.
The nonprofit operator of both facilities, Hope of the Valley, provides three meals per day, seven days per week to clients, as well as ongoing counseling, housing navigation and connection to social services and employment opportunities. Alexandria Park features three hygiene trailers with a total of 15 bathrooms, as well as shower and laundry facilities. The 103 homes include six ADA accessible units.
Because of COVID restrictions, most of the units will house only one client each (except in cases of a family unit), but capacity will increase substantially as those restrictions subside. A professional security company will provide three security guards who will monitor the property at all times.
The site has seven housing specialists on hand to assist with intakes, case management, housing plans and placements into permanent housing. Hope of the Valley has a job center in North Hollywood that will assist residents obtaining employment.
The total construction cost was approximately $8.6 million, or $43,000 per bed (200 beds).