Tiny Home Villages for Homelessness

Housing and Homelessness

Applying a proven model or solution to a new issue or sector (e.g., using a job recruiting software or strategy to match clients to supportive housing sites, applying demonstrated strategies from advocating for college affordability to advocating for housing affordability and homelessness, etc.)

Hope of the Valley operates 16 shelters with over 1,500 beds nightly. We expect to serve more than 1.6 million meals this year to the hungry and homeless with a full complement of rehabilitation programs including intensive case management, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, medical care, life skill training, job placement, and housing navigation. Hope of the Valley is now one of the largest providers of housing and services to the homeless in California. While our ultimate goal is permanent housing and independence for the homeless, the streets cannot be the waiting room. That is why we are offering temporary, emergency housing through six Tiny Home Villages throughout the valley to take people in now, address the obstacles that are keeping them from self-sufficiency, and then help transition them into a life of hope, purpose, and a place to call home.

Being homeless is one of the most traumatic experiences for anyone. People have not just lost a job or shelter, they’ve lost connection with family, friends, community, and even themselves. Hope of the Valley sees our mission as more than a temporary safety net. We also want to create some sense of normalcy, routine, comfort, community, family, and a place to call home. This is being accomplished through six Tiny Home Villages, providing over 900 beds every night in the Valley for the formerly homeless. Each home is 64 square feet with two beds, heating, air-conditioning, windows, storage, and a locking front door which gives our clients a real sense of independence and security. Residents have access to onsite meals, hygiene services, healthcare, WiFi, mental health care, substance abuse counseling, housing support, job training and placement to start a whole new life! The City of Los Angeles views the homeless crises as their number one priority and they love the Tiny Home concept. In addition to the land and construction, the City provides a stipend of $55 per day, per person we serve. But our actual costs are more which creates a gap in our funding needs and we must fill this through community support and other donations and grants.

All six of our Tiny Homes Village are providing over 900 beds. The average stay at a Tiny Home is about six months so we have a turn-over up to two times a year for a total of 1,800 people who are being served annually through this entire program. And with so many services we offer in a home and neighborhood setting, this reduces the chances that our clients will wind up back on the street again after they leave our services. As this successful model continues to flourish, we see more and more Tiny Home Villages popping up in other communities throughout Los Angeles County with the full support of community and political leaders. And as these villages grow, we believe it will represent a sizeable bite out of the homeless crises and reduce the number of people who return to their cycle of poverty and homelessness. In short, this unique approach will significantly reduce the homeless population in Los Angeles County in the coming years.

It is easy for Hope of the Valley to measure our success by the sheer numbers and participants in our program. Specifically, how many went through our program, left with jobs, and now have more permanent housing. To further measure our impact, Hope of the Valley utilizes the Homeless Management Information System and internal excel spreadsheets to track programmatic data. Our Director of Access and Engagement, Director of Residential Programs, and Director of Crises and Interim Housing track the metrics from each individual department. Our program's leadership team submit monthly data reports to the Director of Strategic Initiatives who tracks and analyzes agency-wide programmatic data to assess for program strengths, areas of improvement, and compliance with our funding source requirements.