A Safe, Supportive Home by Year-End

Affordable housing and homelessness

Central LA City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

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

Many individuals rebuilding after homelessness or domestic violence are placed in housing that feels chaotic or unsafe, spaces that can worsen trauma instead of supporting recovery. Too often, transitional housing environments—especially those serving historically marginalized communities—fail to meet basic psychological needs for safety and stability. In LA County, most residents in transitional housing identify as Black or Latino, and nationally, Black Americans make up 13% of the US population but 40% of those experiencing homelessness (HUD, 2023). Most programs lack the resources to create spaces that promote healing. Research shows that poorly designed environments can prolong trauma symptoms and disrupt recovery (National Library of Medicine, 2022). We believe the physical environment plays a critical role in healing. By transforming the way spaces look, feel, and function, we help residents feel safe, sleep better, and take the next step toward achieving long-term independence.

The issue this project addresses is structural. Transitional housing environments—particularly those serving historically marginalized communities—are often institutional, chaotic, and under-resourced. These conditions can worsen trauma and disrupt healing. Flip4Good uses trauma-informed design to intervene at the environmental level. Grounded in neuroscience and psychology, this approach uses color, lighting, layout, acoustics, and material choices to support residents’ emotional regulation and behavioral health.
LA2050’s support will aid the redesign of a two-bedroom apartment unit in The Midnight Mission’s transitional housing facility. The project will be planned and executed over three months, encompassing a needs assessment, sourcing strategy, volunteer activation, and installation. Every element will be carefully selected for its durability, functionality, and sensory impact: blackout curtains to support restful sleep, soft, layered lighting to reduce cortisol levels, acoustic panels to control noise, and non-institutional color palettes that promote a sense of calm. The unit will be fully furnished with beds, seating, dining areas, appliances, study spaces, and personalized touches that signal care and intention.
The Flip is projected to serve 60 people over a 10-year period. It demonstrates a scalable model that improves recovery outcomes without requiring ongoing staffing or compliance. Space itself becomes a tool for long-term stability.

If our work is successful, families across Los Angeles, especially those recovering from crisis, will rebuild their lives in housing that actively supports healing. This Flip will create a safe, stable environment for residents transitioning out of homelessness and domestic violence. But the vision goes further. We aim to normalize design that reduces stress, supports mental health, and helps adults and children regain a sense of safety.
Over time, as more transitional housing sites adopt this approach, we can reduce trauma exposure, improve behavioral health outcomes, and strengthen family stability. Fewer returns to crisis. Fewer emergency interventions. More residents moving forward with confidence and dignity.
By demonstrating what’s possible in a two-bedroom apartment unit projected to serve 60 people over a decade, we’re working to transform how transitional housing is built, measured, and valued across Los Angeles.