Vouchers Keep 400 Homeless From the Cold

More than 400 homeless people, including at least 40 children, were given shelter in low-cost San Fernando Valley motels and hotels over the cold Thanksgiving weekend through a voucher program sponsored by the city of Los Angeles.

“We had to turn away people Friday because we ran out of rooms,” said Chrissa Cummings, shelter coordinator for Better Valley Services, which distributes the vouchers for the city’s Community Development Department.

She said that an exact tally of the homeless people served is being taken and will be available later this week. She estimated the number to be 410, of which 40 were children.

Bleak Forecast

Cummings said the agency handed out vouchers for Wednesday through Sunday at certain hotels and motels after the long-range forecast indicated that the weather would be cold and rainy.

The voucher program, now in its second year, is used when temperatures are expected to drop below 40 degrees or when rain is forecast, Cummings said. The agency does not plan to distribute vouchers this week because a warming trend is expected, she said.

“We have to go by the weather report,” Cummings said.

Beginning Thursday, single people and childless couples who are homeless will be sent to the National Guard Armory, 17400 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, instead of being given motel or hotel vouchers, she said.

Showers, meals and counseling will be available at the armory, said Paul Gallant, assistant project director at the Valley Shelter, who is coordinating the armory program. The armory can accommodate 200 people, he said. It also will be available to the homeless only on cold or rainy nights.

Last Saturday, after the agency had exhausted the roughly 200 rooms at its disposal, the city opened the Pacoima Recreation Center for shelter. About 10 people took advantage of the service Saturday night and seven stayed there Sunday night, said James Blanton, a center recreation assistant.

The recreation center is opened only when no more motel or hotel rooms are available, Cummings said. It can accommodate about 200 people, she said. After Thursday, the center will be opened only if there is an overflow from the armory or the hotel and motel rooms have been exhausted.

Hotel and motel vouchers were issued for the first time this year the weekend before Thanksgiving--Nov. 18, 19 and 20--when 174 people were given shelter, Cummings said.

She said that she expects large numbers of homeless people to use the city shelter program this winter partly because word is out about availability of the vouchers.

“And it looks like the weather will be colder this year,” Cummings said.