LOS ANGELES, CA – The Board of Supervisors today approved a motion authored by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District, authorizing a license agreement for the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village (previously named the Vignes Street Interim Housing Project) located at 1060 North Vignes St., in the City of Los Angeles.
“What once was supposed to be a staging area to build a new Men’s Central Jail will now serve as a safe space to address the housing, mental and behavioral health needs of our residents experiencing homelessness,” said Chair Solis. “We broke ground on the project six months ago, and in just a matter of days, will turn keys to 232 doors of hope for our most vulnerable. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish, and that is re-imagining Los Angeles County with steps toward our commitment towards realizing a Care First, Jail Last model.”
When the County first acquired the property in 2018, it was originally intended to serve as a staging area as the County prepared to build a new Men’s Central Jail. However, recognizing that prisons cannot be the solution to our housing crisis, Chair Solis led the effort to cancel the contract to build a new jail. This action opened the doors for the property to be transformed into much needed housing instead.
In December 2019, the Board voted to explore potential short- and long-term housing options for people experiencing homelessness on this parcel, and COVID-19 and the growing homelessness crisis only increased the urgency to move ahead quickly with this project. On September 29, 2020, the Board approved the Vignes Street Interim Housing project and in October 2020, the County broke ground on the Vignes Street Housing Project, recently renamed the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village.
This project marks a major milestone in creating a large number of housing units utilizing innovative construction methods, on an accelerated timeline, to support the County’s most vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction of the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village has progressed rapidly and is expected to open April 2021.
The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village will include: 232 units on nearly 60,500 square feet; a 6,000-square-foot modular resource building that will house a kitchen, dining, laundry, and administrative spaces; a small parking area for staff and overflow parking for residents. Landscaped courtyards and other amenities for outdoor activities will also be provided. The estimated project cost is $57 million, of which $51 million is federal Cares Act Coronavirus relief funding and $6 million from Chair Solis’ First District Interim Housing Pool funds.
The passage of today’s motion directs County departments to ensure readiness for the operation of the Hilda L. Solis Care First Village, designate the site to be temporarily occupied by people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as delegate and authorize the County’s Chief Executive Office to negotiate and execute a license agreement between the County and the Weingart Center Association, for a fifteen month term, for the management and delivery of direct supportive services to residents.
To view the motion, click here.