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Venice couple work outside the system to house homeless

John Betz rolls a refrigerator down a street in South Los Angeles for a duplex he and his partner, Heidi Roberts, set up to house homeless people. The Venice couple plan to open 480 more beds within a year under their nonprofit, Haaven. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Patricia Wilson gets a hug from Heidi Roberts, left, as she and other tenants move into their new home along Wall Street in April 2018 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Crickett Sales, who used to live on the beach in Venice, carries her belongings into her new residence as she and other tenants move into their new home along Wall Street in April 2018 in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

John Betz and Heidi Roberts carry a couch up the stairs into the upper unit of a duplex in South Los Angeles. The units will be rented out to homeless people in what is called shared housing. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

John Betz and Heidi Roberts prop a washing machine onto a moving dolly as they work to set up two duplex housing units in South Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Dorothy Latham says, “Oh, wow, this is really nice,” as she reads a greeting card left on the pillow of her new bed as she and other tenants move into their new home in South Los Angeles in April 2018. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Heidi Roberts lifts a table as she and John Betz set up two duplex housing units in South Los Angeles in March 2018. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)

Ruth McCants talks with Heidi Roberts as tenants move into their new home on Wall Street in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)