Domestic violence is a serious issue that affects many people in Los Angeles County, California. Victims of abuse and mistreatment can find refuge and temporary housing in shelters that are specifically designed to provide them with the necessary support. These shelters offer secure and safe accommodation for those who would otherwise have nowhere to spend the night. Children of any age are accepted.
A domestic violence advocate is available to accompany victims to the permanent hearing on the restraining order, either virtually or in person. This provides the victim with the support they need to move forward with the legal process. The Human Trafficking Shelter Operations (HTSO) program provides emergency and transitional shelter beds and dedicated support services to adult survivors of sex or labor trafficking who are in the city of Los Angeles. Survivors First's homelessness prevention program follows the successful Housing First (DVHF) model, which is being implemented across the country, to help survivors move quickly to safe, permanent housing. In addition, there are 39 shelters and programs against domestic violence and abuse in nearby cities such as Glendale, Pasadena and North Hollywood. The Los Angeles County Departments of Health Services (DHS), Mental Health Services (DMH) and Public Health: Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (DPH-SAPC), as well as the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), manage a variety of interim housing beds, a subset of which receives funding from Measure H.
These beds are designed to provide temporary housing for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who are increasingly poor, have fewer housing options, and have a longer history of intermittent homelessness than ever before. Currently, there are 15 domestic violence and abuse shelters and programs in Los Angeles County, California. Seven of these offer a hotline and 12 offer emergency shelter. The shelters were created with a survivor-centric approach, offering an alternative solution to address the unique needs of survivors. This approach has been proven to be more effective than the Coordinated Entry System in serving this specific population, with a 96% success rate for people who remain permanently housed after 18 months.
