Homeless Center to Get $1.5-Million Renovation

The homeless service center operated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society on Skid Row is about to undergo $1.5 million in renovations, officials said Monday.

Archbishop Roger Mahony said plans call for a new second floor addition at the center at 231 Winston St., with expanded dining, counseling and meeting areas. That will allow 70 additional homeless people to be sheltered at night, according to Yolanda Garrett, the center’s resource developer. Right now the center shelters 35 people nightly.

Money for the renovations will come from the city, county, state and federal governments, as well as the Weingart Foundation and private donors. Work is to start in December and be completed in May. The center will be closed during that time, but clients will be sent to neighboring agencies, Garrett said.