1st Time This Fall : L.A. Distributes Shelter Vouchers to Homeless

For the first time this fall, the city of Los Angeles is distributing shelter vouchers to homeless people in the San Fernando Valley.

The city began passing out the vouchers Friday in Van Nuys and continued distributing them Saturday and today, said Chrissa Cummings, shelter coordinator for Better Valley Services.

The agency is a referral service for the homeless that is partly financed by the city.

Vouchers are given to anyone requiring shelter when the temperature is projected to dip below 40 degrees or below 50 degrees with at least a 50% chance of rain.

Temperatures were projected to drop below 40 degrees in the Valley this weekend, Cummings said.

140 People Housed

About 140 people were housed by five hotels in Sepulveda and Van Nuys on Friday night, she said.

The hotels have room for about 274 people, but “we’ll find another hotel before we ever turn anyone away,” she said.

Under the program, which began last year, the city pays a double occupancy rate of $32 to $40 per room. Voucher recipients are urged to double up, Cummings said.

Needy people learn about the vouchers through the media and word of mouth, she said.

The city has also established a free telephone number, 1-800-548-6047, that homeless people may call for information.

Early Saturday afternoon, about 25 homeless people waited for vouchers outside Better Valley Services at 14602 Kittridge St. in Van Nuys.

One woman, Mariann Hogan, 24, said she was so cold one night last week that she took shelter in an unlocked car in Van Nuys.

Another man, Danny Jordan, 25, said he typically wraps himself in three blankets and sleeps in a parking lot.

‘First Night’s Sleep’

“This will be my first night’s sleep in a bed in 3 months,” Jordan said. “I’m going to take a shower, relax and watch TV until the voucher runs out.”

The vouchers expire Monday about 11 a.m., but will be renewed on a daily basis if the weather remains cold, Cummings said.