A Glimmer of Hope on Skid Row

LAMP Village, a Skid Row transitional shelter for mentally ill homeless men and women, was officially dedicated Wednesday with the usual laudatory remarks from city and county officials and praise from social service workers in the audience.

But one person not expected to attend the ceremony, which was held under a tent on the street in front of the new facility at 527 S. Crocker St., was Charles Woo, an area businessman and a spokesman for a merchants’ group called Central City East Assn.

Three years ago, Woo and his group had fought the facility--which also includes public showers, bathrooms, a coin laundry and a convenience store--fearing it would contribute to an increase in the area’s homeless population and further erode the light industrial use of the area.

But on Wednesday, Woo showed up to offer his guarded support.

“We support the concept of a mental health facility for the homeless community,” said Woo, owner of ABC Toys, which has a retail outlet and warehouse about a block from the center. “However, the fact that they are were unable to find a facility outside Skid Row remains a concern. We don’t want the Central City area to continue to carry the burden of countywide problems.”

Woo dropped his opposition after city officials agreed to create a so-called “specific plan” for the area, which will give merchants a stronger say in development and zoning matters.

City and county officials--who formed a rare alliance to get the 30,000-square-foot facility built--said they hope LAMP will serve as a model for similar facilities throughout the city and county.

“LAMP Village is a model for the rest of the nation in responding to the problems of homeless people afflicted with mental illness,” Mayor Tom Bradley said. “This project is unique in that it not only addresses the issue of housing the mentally ill, it also tackles the problems of unemployment and is specifically geared toward getting mentally ill people off Skid Row and into constructive and challenging jobs.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman, whose 3rd District includes the shelter, called the center a “beacon in bleakness,” and said the facility will serve as an example that a homeless shelter can coexist with its neighbors.

The city provided more than $1.1 million in capital funds and is leasing the building to LAMP for $1 a year. The city and county agreed in June, 1987, to renovate the brick building. The county will provide operating funds while the city serves as technical and fiscal manager of the project. Several private foundations also provided funding for the facility.

LAMP (formerly Los Angeles Men’s Place) was established in 1985 and provides social and residential services to homeless people identified as mentally ill, many of whom are also substance abusers. LAMP programs attempt to get such people off the streets, provide basic needs and refer homeless people to mental and physical health programs throughout the city. LAMP official say they serve the mentally ill homeless who will not seek assistance outside the Skid Row area.

The new facility, which will house 48 men and women, will include a cluster of businesses designed to provide both a source of income for the center and job skills for homeless people.

“Mentally ill homeless people want the opportunity to work in real jobs and be part of a working community that will allow them a certain degree of independence,” said Mollie Lowery, director of LAMP Village.