LOCKING ARMS TO DELIVER HOUSING IMPROVEMENTS: Mayor Bass Applauds Rep. Kamlager-Dove for Securing Funding to Improve Permanent Supportive Housing in Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today celebrated funding secured by Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) for improvements to The Prentice permanent supportive housing site in Skid Row. The new funding will support critical renovations, creating a safer and healthier environment for residents who have previously experienced homelessness. In 2023, with support from the City of Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), the Mayor's Office submitted a request to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove to bring federal dollars home for The Prentice.

"Thank you, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove for leading this effort and locking arms with us to deliver for some of our most vulnerable Angelenos," said Mayor Bass. "The only way we can be successful in solving homelessness is by working with all levels of government and implementing a comprehensive approach that keeps people housed in a safe and healthy environment. Together, we will continue to break the status quo and confront this crisis in a way that shows sustained results."

"Building more affordable and public housing alone is not enough to solve the housing crisis-we must also improve our existing housing stock to ensure safe and comfortable living conditions for all residents," said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. "This project is a continuation of our work to strengthen our current supportive housing supply and provide real, lasting housing security for our most vulnerable community members. Bringing federal housing resources, including this funding, back to the 37th District has been one of my greatest honors in Congress-I will continue working with the City to secure additional federal resources and ensure that all Angelenos have a safe place to call home."

The Prentice, built in 1914, is a three-story, 46-unit building with 44 single-room occupancy permanent supportive housing units and two staff units. Each dwelling is equipped with a wall-hung sink and mini fridge and comes fully furnished with a bed frame, mattress, table, chairs, nightstand, and a dresser. The building has shared bathrooms and showers, a community kitchen, community lounge, dining room, laundry facilities, and a courtyard.

The funding secured by Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove will support capital improvements to the site, including:

• Replacing light and plumbing fixtures, the existing roof, and all doors;

• Ensuring all entryways meet accessibility requirements;

• Repainting interior walls;

• Renovating the storefront;

• Upgrading the security system; and

• Remodeling the community kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

This announcement comes two days after Mayor Bass joined California Governor Gavin Newsom as he announced $164.3 million in funding for the City of Los Angeles, continuing sustained efforts to address the homelessness crisis. Mayor Bass has locked arms to implement a new comprehensive strategy to bring unhoused Angelenos inside, which has resulted in a decrease in homelessness in Los Angeles for the first time in years.

Since her first day in office, when she declared an unprecedented emergency on the homelessness crisis, Mayor Bass has driven change in how we address homelessness with new initiatives to bring people living in encampments inside. She has also worked to prevent people from losing their homes and to lock arms across all levels of government to move people inside, save lives, and restore neighborhoods.

Key results from the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count:

• Homelessness in the City of Los Angeles is down for the first time in six years.

• Unprecedented drop in street homelessness (10% decrease in the City of Los Angeles - the first double-digit decrease in the last at least 9 years).

• A decrease in makeshift shelters (38% decrease in the City of Los Angeles).

• The number of people who have moved into permanent housing is at an all-time high.