County Keeps Shelters Open Until April 30

Just when it looked like homeless men and women were going to be left out in the cold, the county has decided to extend its emergency shelter programs through April 30.

The additional month of operation, approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, is being financed by about $300,000 in unused funds from shelters that underspent their seasonal budget allocations, program manager Paul Rossi said.

“It was our desire to accommodate homeless men and women for as long as we could,” Rossi said. “Now, we will be able to open some of the shelters.”

The number of available beds, however, will be reduced from 2,530 to 1,975.

The authority plans to release a list today of available shelter sites and van stops where homeless people can be picked up for a ride to a shelter.

Under the county’s plan, emergency shelters open after the traditional Nov. 18 to Feb. 28 season when temperatures drop below 40 degrees or there is a greater than 50% chance of rain.

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Because temperatures across the Los Angeles Basin on Thursday night were expected to remain in the mid-40s to the low 50s, only the shelter in Lancaster--where it was predicted the mercury would drop below 40 degrees--was expected to open.

Unseasonably cool, wet weather is expected to last a while longer, though the extended forecast calls for a decrease in rain toward the end of the month, said John Sherwin, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc.

Light rain is forecast today with high temperatures in the mid-50s to low 60s. Showers will decrease tonight with overnight lows in the low to upper 40s, Sherwin said.

Sunshine is expected to peek from behind the clouds Saturday and Sunday, before more showers move in Monday night, he said.

The move to keep the shelters open for another month was prompted by Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svorinich, who asked the authority to investigate whether funds were available to extend the program, Rossi said.

The funds were found, and at a special meeting Wednesday afternoon the commissioners approved use of the money for extended shelter time.

“We were already trying to identify additional funds, but we had to wait until the end of the month when the shelter invoices came in” to determine how much, if any, money was left over, Rossi said.

At the beginning of the month during the winter season, each shelter receives the funding it needs to operate at full capacity, Rossi said. A surplus results, for instance, if only 85 homeless people show up at a shelter for 100. The $300,000 in total underspent funds will be spread throughout the 24-shelter system.

Calls from homeless people to the City Council and Board of Supervisors, as well as an article in The Times, contributed to the decision, said Brenda Wilson, executive director of New Image emergency shelter.

“In their defense, this commission is attentive to the needs of the homeless,” Wilson said. “This was just a boost to help them do the right thing.”

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Meanwhile, tenants forced from their apartment building on Erwin Street a week ago because of a leaky roof were trying to return to normalcy. Several have found apartments after staying in motel rooms, high school gymnasiums or with friends.

They said they are also getting help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local churches.

“I found an apartment in Canoga Park, but it’s nine people living in a one-bedroom,” said Adan Corea, who returned to his rain-soaked apartment to salvage a few belongings.

He planned to put the items in a storage facility rented by Silverstar Realty, the company that has managed the building since January.