LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, Executive Director of West Valley Homes YES Kim Olsen, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Director of Access and Engagement Brittnee Hill, and LA Family Housing CEO and President Stephanie Klasky-Gamer held a press conference today to announce the success of the Council District 7 RV Pilot Program. From 2019 to 2022, there has been a 41% increase in the number of RVs on the streets of Los Angeles. The Council District 7 RV Pilot Program, which is the first of its kind, is an antidote to that increase. It has led individuals living in recreational vehicles (RVs) to voluntarily transition into interim or permanent housing, while offering incentives to trade-in their vehicles for disposal.
RVs often pose a threat to public safety by blocking visibility for vehicular travel, leaking sewage onto city streets, and have resulted in several fires when heaters or propane are used inside.
From February 1, 2022 to September 15, 2022, the Council District 7 RV Pilot Program accomplished the following:
- 20 RVs have been removed from city streets;
- 25 individuals have been housed; and
- 37 individuals enrolled in program (12 individuals awaiting placement)
With this success, Councilwoman Rodriguez announced that:
- She is dedicating $350,000 in discretionary funding to expand the pilot for her entire District.
- She is introducing a motion today to take this successful model and expand it city-wide.
“I’m proud to have pioneered another successful model to address homelessness in my district that will yield results for other neighborhoods if adopted citywide. With many residents experiencing the impact of RV encampments, this model incents housing placement and permanently removes, not relocates the issues to other communities.” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. “Developing this collaborative model between city departments and service providers has created a clear process that accelerates the results we all desire; housing the homeless, improving public safety and cleaning up our neighborhoods.”
“This program demonstrates that meeting individual’s needs for housing and services, as well as deep partnerships across agencies, is the solution to homelessness,” said Executive Director of West Valley Homes YES Kim Olsen. “Prioritizing agency and dignity rather than coercion is comprehensively effective, and long-term success will come only with the provision of housing that meets those same standards.”
“LAHSA’s outreach teams are working hard to shelter and house our neighbors living in RVs daily. We are proud to join with organizations like West Valley Homes YES and LA Family Housing who are equally passionate and dedicated to ensuring people living in RVs come inside,” said Brittnee Hill, Director of Access and Engagement for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “This program would not have been possible without the support and leadership of Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. We look forward to working with her to expand this program and bring more of our unsheltered neighbors home.”
“LA Family Housing (LAFH) is proud to have supported and partnered with West Valley Homes Yes (WVHY) in their extraordinary, person-centered work to help individuals move out of RVs and come indoors permanently,” said LA Family Housing President and CEO Stephanie Klasky-Gamer. “LAFH is deeply thankful to the leadership of Councilwoman Rodriguez and her staff, who have been instrumental in uplifting WVHY’s work. The motion introduced by the Councilwoman today will enable WVHY to scale the impact of their resources, ensuring even more of our neighbors are on a path toward personal stability.”
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Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez serves as the City’s Chair of Public Safety and represents the 7th Council District in the Northeast San Fernando Valley which includes the neighborhoods of Sylmar, Mission Hills, Pacoima, Lake View Terrace, Sunland, Tujunga, North Hills, Shadow Hills, and La Tuna Canyon.