Thrive Stronger Together: LA Homeless Resource Network (LAHRN)

Affordable housing and homelessness

Central LA East LA South LA West LA Gateway Cities South Bay Long Beach County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

In 2024, the LA Homeless Services Authority reported 75,312 people were homeless on any given night—a staggering reminder that this is more than a housing issue: it's a human crisis. Families are shattered by poverty, veterans sleep on streets they once defended, and youth aging out of foster care face the world alone. Women fleeing abuse, and individuals with mental illness, find no safety net. Homelessness stems from deep systemic failures—economic inequality, racial injustice, lack of mental health care, and unaffordable housing. This crisis demands action now. Each day delayed means more lives lost in the shadows of a city that claims to lead. Behind every tent is a story of loss, resilience, and a system that looked the other way. A child dreams of home, wakes to cold concrete. The cycle is cruel and relentless but not unbreakable. Because without support, hope dies quietly one night, one person, one forgotten soul at a time. Resources don’t just save lives—they restore humanity.

Our mobile resource van will serve as a vital lifeline for homeless individuals across Los Angeles County, delivering essential services directly to those most in need. Unlike static shelters, which are limited by location, our van allows us to reach vulnerable populations wherever they are, offering immediate support. Step 1: Identify Hotspots – We will collaborate with local organizations and government entities to pinpoint high-concentration areas. Step 2: Outreach and Engagement – Outreach teams will engage individuals in a welcoming environment, providing information on available services. Step 3: Needs Assessment – Staff will conduct personalized assessments focusing on housing, legal support, healthcare, and identification assistance. Step 4: Resource Provision – We will offer tailored resources such as housing applications, job searches, healthcare referrals, public assistance, and more via the van’s computers and work stations. Step 5: Follow-Up and Referral – We won’t just meet people—we’ll stay with them. Through trusted partners, we’ll follow up, walk beside them, and help carry what they can’t. This van is more than a vehicle; it’s a promise that someone still sees them, still believes in their future. By reaching those left behind, we restore dignity, connection, and the hope of home. We expect more lives stabilized, more stories rewritten. The van will run five days a week, with a live online schedule—because no one should have to wonder where help went.

We will bring life-saving care to the forgotten streets of LA—meeting people in tents, alleys, and sidewalks with open hands and open hearts. In the first year, our mobile van will deliver emergency essentials—food, clean water, hygiene kits, mental health support, Public benefit resources and more—to an estimated 750 unhoused residents. But we’ll offer more than supplies; we’ll bring dignity, presence, and a reason to believe they’re not alone. No one should take their last breath alone on a sidewalk, unseen and unnamed. In the long term, we will train people with lived experience of homelessness to become peer advocates—leaders who carry both scars and wisdom. These advocates will walk beside their peers, offering hope through connection. As this model grows, it will evolve into a countywide network, transforming isolation into leadership. In future years, Los Angeles County will be a place where no one is lost to the shadows, and every soul has the chance to rise.