Homeless Shelter to Open 24 Hours

A major change in the routine at the San Fernando Valley’s only winter emergency shelter will allow the area’s homeless to find relief from the cold and rain 24 hours a day.

From Dec. 16 through Feb. 28, the Trudy and Norman Louis Valley Shelter will be among three to stay open all day and night, unlike previous years when hundreds of homeless men, women and children marked time on the streets until nightfall, when the facilities reopened.

On any given night in Los Angeles County, about 84,000 homeless people are sleeping on the street, in shelters or in substandard housing, according to figures compiled by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for the county and city.

Tuesday night, shelters were opened across the county as overnight temperatures dropped below 40 degrees and a greater than 50% chance of rain was predicted, meeting the conditions set by the authority.

Advocates for the homeless said the new hours will go a long way toward closing the gap between homeless men, women and children and the services they desperately need, officials said.

In previous years, L.A. Family Housing Corp. operated the shelter from the National Guard Armory in Sylmar. But because of the remote location at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 44% of the shelter’s 150 beds remained empty on any given night, said Paul Rossi, program coordinator for Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which administers funding for 20 shelters throughout county.

With the new North Hollywood location, officials expect more homeless people to use the 140-bed shelter and the counseling services it will provide.

“This year we are really stressing case management,” said Joe Zuniga, winter shelter program coordinator for L.A. Family Housing, which runs the facility at 7843 Lankershim Blvd.

“There will be no excuse for them not to follow up on the services we are recommending because we will be putting the services right at their doorstep,” he said.

The new site for the emergency winter shelter became available when the low-income families who had lived there moved in July into a new building next door.

That facility, the Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living Center, offers private units for 68 homeless families as well as kitchen and dining facilities, a computer room, a job resource center, a child-care center and underground parking, said Tracey Wallace, development director for L.A. Family Housing.

The transitional facility will take center stage Dec. 10 at a grand opening celebration during which U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, Wallace said.

The facility is named for the late Sydney M. Irmas, who served as chairman of the nonprofit housing agency and was instrumental in developing housing for the region’s homeless and poor, Wallace said.

Other area shelters include the Glendale Armory Winter Emergency Shelter at 220 E. Colorado St. and the Lancaster Community Shelter at 44611 Yucca Ave.

This year’s emergency winter shelter season began Nov. 18, Rossi said. Facilities are open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. when temperatures drop below 40 degrees and or when there is a greater than 50% chance of rain.

From Dec. 16 to Feb. 28, he said, only three county-run shelters--in North Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles and Bell--will be open 24 hours. The remaining shelters will operate from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Rossi said as spring nears, the shelters will open in March only when the weather dictates.

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Making Connections

According to statistics compiled by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, on any given night in Los Angeles County there are up to 84,000 homeless men, women and children.

Area Shelters

The Trudy and Norman Louis Valley Shelter

7843 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood 91605; 982-4091

Provides emergency shelter for families. Facilities include one classroom and free medical clinic.

Donations: All foods, new toys, used computers, furniture, appliances, plates, pots, pans and money.

Volunteer help: Assisting teacher in tutoring, clerical help, answering telephones, preparing, serving and cleaning in the cafeteria, and sorting donated items.

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Burbank temporary Aid Center

1304 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank 91506; 846-2330

Serves the homeless and needy in the Burbank area.

Donations: Food, funds for lodging, clothing.

Volunteer help: Needs help in its pantry and in working directly with clients. Especially encourages senior citizens to volunteer their time.

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Women’s Care Cottage

4717 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Suite 200, Valley Village 91607; 786-7830

Donations: Food, clothing, household items like plates, pans and linens.

Volunteer help: Volunteers needed in all areas, including meal services, administration, clothing distribution, donation collection and client assistance.

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Lancaster Community Shelter Catholic Charities of Los Angeles

44611 Yucca Ave., Lancaster 93534; (805) 945-7524

Shelter for up to 95 homeless men, women and children during winter season.

Donations: Food, personal hygiene items, warm jackets, knit hats, seat covers for van, tables and chairs.

Volunteer help: Daily help needed from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to register the homeless.

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Glendale Armory Winter Emergency Shelter

220 East Colorado St., Glendale 91205; 241-7932

Features an outreach program for the homeless referred to it by other organizations and helps find shelter and jobs for them.

Donations: Nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies

Volunteer help: Meal services.