Our Programs and Services
Permanent supportive housing
Step Up uses the Housing First model to connect individuals experiencing chronic homelessness to housing. Housing First is a proven approach in which all individuals experiencing homelessness are believed to be housing-ready.
supportive services
Step Up provides programs and services to help members improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Programs include mental health services, psychiatric services, activities of daily living, life-skills supports, and other health and wellness programs.
community integration
Step Up offers many programs to support our members in finding a meaningful role within their community, such as employment, school, or volunteering. The program is person-centered to help members achieve their self-directed goals.
Programs for Transition-Age Youth (TAY)
Daniel’s Place is one of the few programs in LA County offering services specifically targeted to transition-age young adults (TAY) 18–28 years of age.
Veterans services
The Veterans Services team helps Los Angeles Veterans move from the streets, shelters, and transitional housing into permanent supportive housing.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Step Up uses the Housing First model to connect individuals experiencing chronic homelessness to housing. Housing First is a proven approach in which all individuals experiencing homelessness are believed to be housing-ready.
Supportive Services
Step Up creates opportunities for social connectedness through member-driven support groups, movie nights, cooking, community dinners, and gardening. In addition, there are classes offered such as art, yoga, computer basics, and money management.
Workforce Development
Step Up’s vocational mission is that everyone who wants to work should work. Services include: Pre-vocational training, resume building, community job seeking and placement, in-the-field job coaching, work experience, focused training, and peer support training.
Programs for Transition-Age Youth (TAY)
Daniel’s Place is one of the few programs in LA County offering services specifically targeted to transition-age young adults (TAY) 18–28 years of age.
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
The VASH team helps Los Angeles Veterans move from the streets, shelters, and transitional housing into permanent supportive housing.
Our Approach
With the creation of its first permanent supportive housing building, Step Up’s three-pronged approach to serving individuals experiencing mental health conditions solidified: permanent supportive housing, workforce development, and member-driven supportive services, reflecting Step Up’s core values of respect, dignity, wellness, hope, and collaborative relationships. “Nothing About Us Without Us” is at the heart of Step Up’s programming to help individuals with mental health conditions who have also experienced homelessness heal, recover, and thrive.
Led by President and CEO Tod Lipka from its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, Step Up delivers exemplary housing and mental health services throughout the country. Utilizing the Housing First model of service delivery, Step Up operates standalone housing developments and scattered site housing, and provides comprehensive case management services to thousands of people.
Step Up has since expanded to the Southeastern U.S. partnering with developers, local governments, and service providers to provide permanent supportive housing and rich wraparound-around supports to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in communities in Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.
Each year, Step Up coordinates services for more than 11,400 unduplicated members, with over 4,600 individuals housed through Step Up’s Housing First programs. Many members find placements in employment or education opportunities.
Step Up members maintained a 95% housing retention rate across all sites!
The Community Need
The community need that Step Up addresses with its services is reflected in the numbers of people experiencing homelessness as identified in the annual Point in Time (PIT) Counts. PIT counts are a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January. PIT Counts are required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and determine the allocation of critical federal dollars for housing and other services for the homeless.
The 2023 National Point in Time (PIT) conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Planning found that there are approximately 650,000 people across the country who experience homelessness on any given night. This represents a national increase of 12% in those experiencing homelessness since 2022.
People experiencing chronic homelessness, people with mental health conditions, and people with substance abuse issues represent approximately 30% of the population experiencing homelessness. Step Up’s programs and services address the needs of these individuals.
Phone: (424) 443-4872
Fax: (310) 394-6883
