LA County expected to activate emergency winter motel voucher program
Los Angeles County is expected to enact its emergency winter motel voucher program to aid with the monumental task of housing as many people as they can as an especially frigid storm is expected to hit Southern California.
Already on Tuesday night, the temperature seemed to quickly drop forcing 48-year-old homeless resident Drew to endure a cold night in the Pasadena park he's called home for years.
"Well, I cover up best I can and just gonna have to deal with it," he said. "It's not fun, I'll tell you that. It's hard."
Drew has not been able to get a voucher from the City of Pasadena's motel voucher program, which could be challenging according to a local outreach volunteer.
"Just to be enrolled into the motel rooms, they have to go, physically, to a location and it's only on Thursday evening," said volunteer Jo Long. "One person I was trying to help get into the motel rooms just couldn't physically get there because they have belongings that they didn't want to leave. It was late at night, they were already setting up for the night and so it's a big gamble for them to leave their belongings and go to a location that they don't know."
Long added that many worry that they won't be able to get a motel room since there is no guarantee.
However, L.A. County's emergency winter shelter program, which activates in extreme weather, seems easier to access, at least n the surface.
"It's being offered in various parts of the county right now and by later this evening we'll have announced that it's being opened in most of the county," said Ahmad Chapman, director of communications for L.A. Homeless Services Authority. "No matter where you are if you're looking for an augmented winter shelter bed to stay in tonight through, frankly, just about the end of the month, give 211 a call to see what location is open near you."
However, there are only 509 emergency vouchers available for a county where an estimated 55,000 people live on the streets.
"What we offer in terms of the winter shelter program is on top of the shelter offerings that we already have," said Chapman. "We work closely with our partners at the city and county every day. to ensure that we are opening and having open as many shelter beds as possible."
Long said "as many as possible" will not be enough.
"If anyone watching can — I would encourage them to go out and if you see someone on the street offer them a blanket, socks and clothes, that really makes a huge difference," said Long.
According to the L.A. County Coroner, 14 homeless residents froze to death while living on the streets in 2021.