SELAH: A Community Solution to Homelessness

Affordable housing and homelessness

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Right now, over 75,000 people are experiencing homelessness in LA county–more than could fit in SoFi Stadium. Without effective intervention, this figure could exceed 100,000 by the time we host the summer Olympics in 2028. Homelessness stems from a web of intersecting inequities including poverty, institutional and structural racism, income stagnation, and a critical shortage of affordable housing. Rather than a personal failure, homelessness results from systemic injustices that cost individuals, children, and families their health, quality of life, and capacity to thrive. Yet each person faces a unique set of challenges in their journey back to housing. People need consistent, comprehensive support along that journey. Communities can fulfill the immediate and relational needs that bureaucratic homelessness initiatives can’t. Only through well-coordinated, community-wide efforts can we resolve the homelessness crisis in LA.

SELAH addresses homelessness at the hyperlocal level through an innovative, solutions-oriented approach combining community engagement, education, and direct services. By mobilizing housed Angelenos, SELAH fosters neighbor-to-neighbor support in service-poor areas in Atwater Village, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Northeast Hollywood, and along the LA River. We provide showers, clothing, hygiene supplies, hot meals, and other resources through encampment outreach and weekly programs. By supplying essential items and connecting participants to case management and other vital services, SELAH fills the gaps in service providers and contributes to both immediate relief and longterm solutions for homelessness in LA. We also offer an organized, effective volunteer network through which housed neighbors can join to be part of the solution. As volunteer Megan explains, “I can’t emphasize enough the mental relief of plugging into an initiative that actually helps the unhoused people in my neighborhood.” SELAH stands out by prioritizing the human element in addressing homelessness, fostering trust through positive social interactions and consistent community-based support. Our approach destigmatizes homelessness by fostering understanding between housed and unhoused community members. The outcomes of SELAH’s ongoing work include alleviating hunger, connecting people to essential services, activating citizen engagement, and transforming lives.

We are shaping an LA where every neighbor leads and every community thrives. Our vision reaches beyond "functional zero" homelessness to foster healthy communities of caring, engaged neighbors. Relationships forged through SELAH continue after housing is secured & many of our formerly unhoused participants stay involved as volunteers giving back to the community that supported them. SELAH will continue meeting our unhoused neighbors’ needs through an active community of neighbors, volunteers and partners. Having supported the implementation of our unique model of transformative community building in other parts of LA, including Eagle Rock and Adams Hill, we will continue to grow while maintaining our hyperlevel focus. We envision an LA where homelessness is not stigmatized as a moral failing but addressed as a community responsibility. Where job loss or illegal evictions are handled with collective care. Where every Angeleno has access to food, shelter, and safety regardless of income.

We’ve seen year over year growth in participation & positive, lasting outcomes. Last year, SELAH served over 12,200 meals, a 2x increase from 2022. In 2022, SELAH helped 15 participants move into permanent housing. In 2023, that number increased to 25. We gather feedback via surveys to improve support for both volunteers and participants. In a recent representative survey, 60% of participants affirmed SELAH’s unique value as “offering the chance to sit and talk with people” while 40% affirmed that SELAH “provides services no one else does.” Each month, around 3000 people benefit from our services, with each interaction contributing to a stronger social net. Beyond tracking numbers, we assess impact by maintaining close contact with participants, logging shelter status, connection to case management, and other interactions. We are working with the nonprofit Better Angels to build a bespoke database to comprehensively track impact without creating undue reporting burden on participants.