Our 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 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 services for 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 by President and CEO Tod Lipka from its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, Step Up now delivers exemplary mental health services using a Housing First model through its developments, scattered sites, and program support services offices in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, as well as in Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Monterey County, and Sacramento County.
In 2019, Step Up expanded to the Southeastern U.S. partnering with developers, local governments, and service providers such as Pathways to Housing to provide permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in communities in Greater Atlanta, Georgia, Seminole County, Florida and now also in Nashville, Tennessee!
In 2021, Step Up coordinated services for more than 3,900 unduplicated clients. over 1,850 individuals are being housed, through Step Up’s Housing First programs. Many members found placements in Workforce Development Employment or Education opportunities.
Step Up members maintained a 98% housing retention rate across all sites!
In addition, more than 51,000 meals were prepared by Step Up’s workforce development participants and served at Step Up on Second, Step Up on Vine and at Daniel’s Place, providing healthy meals to community members experiencing food insecurity.
The Community Need
The community need that Step Up is addressing with its services is reflected in the numbers of people experiencing homelessness identified in 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 2020 Point in Time (PIT) count for Los Angeles conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released on June 12th showed there are currently 66,436 people in Los Angeles County experiencing homelessness. This represents a 12.7% rise from last year’s point-in-time count. The city of Los Angeles saw a 14.2% rise to 41,290. This is unacceptable and the need is even more urgent.
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 and problems of these individuals.
