The L.A. County Board Of Supervisors approved a plan this week to purchase a $1.84 million building across the street from the Men’s Central Jail and turn it into interim housing for people who are leaving jail and have nowhere to go.
The county plans to turn the building at 955 North Vignes Ave., which has 4,760 square feet of office space into accommodations for 10 to 15 beds and round-the-clock staff — part of its Warm Landing Place program.
Why now
The move is in line with the county’s larger “Care First, Jails Last” plan, which prioritizes jail diversion programs over incarceration.
“This program embodies our Care First approach, ensuring that those transitioning back into the community have a safe space, access to essential resources, and the support they need,” said Songhai Armstead, the county’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department director, in a statement.
According to the office of Supervisor Hilda Solis, who co-authored the motion, more than 60% of an estimated 75,000 or more unsheltered people in L.A County have been through the criminal justice system.
Many of them struggle to get housing after they’re out.
“Without housing, someone coming out of jail is going to have a really hard time getting a job, getting mental health care that they need, getting sobriety treatment,” said Claire Simonich, associate director of Vera California, a group that has the mission of ending over-criminalization and mass incarceration.
How this relates to goal of closing Men’s Central Jail
Simonich said the new Warm Landing site would help the county move toward its goal of closing the aging Men’s Central…
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