Navigation centers have an immediate impact on LA’s Homeless Crisis
Los Angeles recently surpassed New York City as having the largest number of homeless in the country. Officially, 69,000 people are classified as being without shelter, but many believe the real figure is much higher. David Renard, President of RPM Team, shared a successful navigation model to attendees of ULI’s Homelessness 3.0 Conference: Housing Now! Responding to a State of Emergency.
“The city of Los Angeles needs to take a more immediate approach to addressing the homelessness crisis and does not have the kind of time required for Housing First to be the only acceptable solution to a worsening crisis. We can build shelters in a matter of months, for a fraction of the cost of hotel rehabs and purchases. ”
David Renard, President, RPM Team at June 2023 ULI-LA event
Called navigation centers, these high-performance mobile shelters can be built in months and for a fraction of the cost of traditional construction. Navigation center shelters achieve the stated goals of the Housing-First philosophy – providing people with a safe and secure place to stay while working to get back in control of their lives, offering necessary services such as access to mental health care, substance abuse treatment and job training.
Renard stated that the city's current housing first policy is not working and an immediate solution is needed to help the thousands of people currently surviving on the streets.
"According to Jenna Hornstock, LA’s Deputy Mayor of Housing, ‘5 people are dying every day in Los Angeles. The problem is immediate, timing is everything." Renard said. "We have worked on projects resulting in success for previously unhoused citizens. Our navigation sites are built within 3-4 months and enable access to necessary services for those transitioning to a better life and permanent housing.”
RPM Team's model requires the use of temporary navigation shelters that can be built in a matter of months. Partnering with modular building manufacturers like Sprung Structures and Foldum to deliver congregate and non-congregate navigation centers, these precisely managed projects have provided shelter and services for more than 10,000 people to-date. With access to mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and job training, the inhabitants have a safe and secure place to stay while working to get back in control of their lives.
RPM Team has a proven track record of success in creating temporary shelters. The company has worked on projects in cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento, Huntington Beach and Phoenix, and has helped to house thousands of people. RPM Homeless projects can be found here: https://www.rpm-team.com/homeless
"We are confident that navigation sites and services will be life changing for both unhoused and housed citizens of Los Angeles," Renard said. "We urge the city to consider our proposal and to work with us to help solve this crisis."
