Permanent Supportive Housing

Housing First, established by Dr. Sam Tsemberis, is a model which roots permanent supportive housing as a foundation of recovery for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, mental health conditions, and addictions. Traditionally, these individuals have lived in a cycle of surviving on the street, being admitted to hospitals, shelters, or jails and then going back to the street. The stress of surviving each day in this cycle puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the individual’s psychiatric and physical health. “Living in the street,” one client said, “It makes you crazy.”

Instead, Housing First advocates the provision of client-preferred services based on the premise that individuals know what is best for themselves, that services are to be directed by an individual’s self-determined goals. The number one supportive service requested by Step Up members is housing. Not a pill, a program, or a protocol, but a place to live.

Step Up now owns and/or operates 5 units of innovative, community-based permanent supportive housing across 13 developments in Los Angeles County, and one each in Monterrey, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and Seminole County, Florida. All of Step Up permanent supportive home developments include on-site residential managers, life-skills coordinators, and connection to Step Up or other mental health service providers for support services. Each unit comes with a kitchenette, full bathroom, and living space. In every community in which it operates, Step Up is committed to being a good neighbor.

Step Up’s Veterans Housing Partnership is underway with the rehabilitation of 3 unused, blighted motels and Buildings 205 & 208 in the Building 209 quad on the West LA Campus. These units are for Los Angeles County Veterans who are experiencing homelessness and mental health condtions. The first of these motels, The Bronco on Western is slated to open in February of 2021 with two other motels ready for lease-up in late Spring!

Step Up also provides permanent supportive housing and services at multiple scattered sites across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Step Up’s housing team works with property management companies and landlords who are willing to engage with Step Up to rent to the homeless population. Once an individual is in housing, service teams provide supportive case management services to ensure success. These services include assisting in securing public benefits (Social Security income, food stamps, etc.), counseling, substance use recovery support and linking to community resources.

Step Up is bringing its expertise national, partnering with developers, local governments, private foundations and service providers in the Southeastern U.S. to provide permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in communities in Greater Metro Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, Sanford, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee.