There is Now a Homeless Help Desk Near City Hall

There is now a Homeless Help Desk located in downtown Los Angeles where any person experiencing homelessness or issues related to homelessness can ask for assistance. Services may include directions to shelters, or access to hygiene stations, medical assistance, or food. On select ‘Connect Days,’ homeless people will be able to meet with workers who can help them get identification cards or find long-term housing solutions.

The kiosk was formerly vacant until Councilmen Jose Huizar and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti drafted a motion to instruct the City and the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority to convert it into the Homeless Help Desk. It is helmed by both Garcetti’s Volunteer Corps and members of Older Workers Employment Program, according to a release. Some of these workers have personally experienced homelessness in the past.

“Homeless Angelenos are too often unaware of how close they may be to a warm meal, a shower, or even a place to live,” Garcetti said via a statement. “The Homeless Help Desk will offer a one-stop shop to make it easier to find basic services and begin their transition into supportive housing.”

To be sure, we need more than a kiosk to help the estimated 55,000 homeless people living in our city—a number that’s increased 75 percent in six years, according to the L.A. Times. Yet for those who need a short-term solution or to connect with services, this would be a good place to guide someone in need.

The Homeless Help Desk is located at 200 N. Los Angeles Street, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.