Connect LA is a program for Transitional Aged Youth (18-24) aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness by helping youth build and strengthen relationships with stable individuals that can be supportive in housing pursuits. Connect LA can help young adults who are:

• In need of assistance in stabilizing housing with family or friends.
• Rebuilding relationships that could lead to housing options.
• Homeless or exiting programs such as residential, transitional housing, or sober living and pursuing housing with friends, family, or other peers.

Establishing a permanent connection with individuals is a core outcome for youth experiencing homelessness that positively impacts youths' ability to maintain permanent housing. Services are low barrier and may be provided in the home, locations in the community, or at the program's office if desired.

For more information about the program, please view the Connect LA Flyer.

College is a time for learning, growing, and exploring. However, finding a safe place to sleep at night is also a challenge for some students. This might be tough to believe, but it’s a reality for far too many students across the country.

The numbers are more shocking than you might think. Studies show that about 17% of community college students are homeless, and the numbers are similar at four-year schools. That means in a classroom of 30, about three or four students might not have a stable place to live. All in all, federal data estimates that roughly 1.4 million undergraduates and 166,000 graduate students are experiencing homelessness around the country.

For students struggling to find a place to live, focusing on academics can be tough. The good news is that there are resources that can help these students – as long as you know where to find them and share them with the students who need access the most.

As social workers, counselors, and psychologists, Counseling Psychology, as a community, can make a difference in the lives of students who work hard to better themselves through education despite the odds stacked against them. Visit the Counseling Psychology website to view a list of resources available.

The City of Duarte also partners closely with Foothill Unity Center (790 W. Chestnut Ave., Monrovia, CA). Foothill Unity Center provides clothing, food, school supplies, support and crisis services, health service programs, and other special programs to the Foothill community. Starting in summer 2020, Foothill Unity was a sub-grant recipient through the City of Duarte to provide hygiene services for the unhoused. This funding from the City of Duarte has allowed Foothill Unity Center to secure mobile restrooms and a hand-washing station - services that became even more important during the pandemic as public restrooms were shut down. Foothill Unity Center recently acquired separate grant funding to also offer mobile showers. Visit the Foothill Unity Center website or call their office at (626) 258-3486 for support.

LA-HOP is an LA County wide, web-based portal was designed by the Los Angles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) in close collaboration with the Los Angeles County Health Agency, the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative and the broader outreach network to serve as the primary way for LA County residents to request services for homeless individuals in need of resources. It is also a hub of information to educate the greater community on what can and can’t be done for the homeless and is not meant to be a tool to report criminal activity or emergency services. Note: Outreach services and resources are restricted to the "literally homeless" defined as "an individual that has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation."

San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments in conjunction with Pasadena-based Union Station Homeless Services has launched the Landlord Incentives Program aimed at assisting those experiencing homelessness.

The program will provide financial benefits and support landlords willing to lease to those receiving financial assistance so they can exit homelessness. Participating landlords would receive guaranteed rent checks each month, along with other incentives to cover the routine costs of securing a place to live.

The incentives include an upfront leasing bonus of $500, a nonrefundable holding deposit of as much as one month's rent, up to $2,000 for damage in excess of the security deposit and as much as $3,000 to cover unpaid rent, abandoned units, and eviction fees.

In addition to financial benefits, landlords receive a point of contact who can mediate any issues or provide the funds to resolve issues.

The program is managed by the Union Station Homeless Services (USHS), in partnership with the SGVCOG. To learn more about the San Gabriel Valley Landlord Incentives Program, please visit SGVCOG's website.