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THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW. ON MATTER OF FACT. HOMELESSNESS IN THE U.S. INCREASED BY 18% FROM 2023 TO 2024. THAT JUMP LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. IN RECENT YEARS. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITHOUT HOMES HAS BECOME OVERWHELMING FOR MAJOR CITIES, INCLUDING LOS ANGELES. IT HAS THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION OF UNHOUSED PEOPLE, BEHIND NEW YORK CITY. BUT SOLVING THE CRISIS TAKES MORE THAN JUST SHELTER. 67% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. OUR CORRESPONDENT DINA DEMETRIUS VISITED HOPE, THE M O R’S, L.A. COUNTY’S LARGEST NONPROFIT SHELTER ORGANIZATION, TO SEE THE CREATIVE WAY IT’S HELPING PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREETS AND LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. WE’RE ON THE STREET. NO RV, NO TENT IN THE DIRT. BASICALLY, ROGER PEREZ AND HIS WIFE, JENNA, BOTH HAD DEVASTATING HEALTH CRISES THAT LANDED THEM IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MONTHS. I LOST MY JOB. I HAD SAVINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THE SAVINGS DEPLETED. WE COULDN’T PAY RENT ANYMORE. IT FORCED THEM ONTO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY STREETS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I TRIED LOOKING FOR WORK AND I COULDN’T FIND ANY. THE PEREZ’S ARE FINALLY GETTING ON THEIR FEET NOW, LIVING IN A TINY HOME, INTERIM HOUSING WITH HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONER AND SAFETY. IT’S ONE OF SEVEN TINY HOME COMMUNITIES LAUNCHED IN 2021 BY HOPE, THE MISSION AND THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. IF WE DON’T HAVE PLACES LIKE THIS, THE WHOLE THING DOESN’T WORK. MISSION PRESIDENT ROWAN VAN CLEVE SAYS. TINY HOME COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN GAME CHANGING. IT’S PART OF THE ORGANIZATION’S 2700 BED SHELTER SYSTEM, FILLED THROUGH OUTREACH TO THE COUNTY’S 76,000 HOMELESS, TINY HOME COMMUNITIES, INTERIM HOUSING SHELTERS. ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN BRILLIANT BECAUSE THEY’VE BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OFF THE STREET. IT’S ABOUT 9500 PEOPLE THAT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES ARE NOW INSIDE THEIR BUILT ON CITY PROPERTY, PARTIALLY FUNDED BY THE CITY AND PRIVATE DONORS, AND ASSEMBLED QUICKLY WITH FLAT PACK PREFAB PARTS. LAST TEN YEARS HAVE BEEN ON THE STREET LIKE EIGHT OF THOSE TEN YEARS. BUT BEYOND SHELTERING PEOPLE, THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN THE HUMAN. I’M TRYING TO GET CLEAN OFF OF PRIMARILY OPIATES BECAUSE THAT’S THAT’S THE HARD ONE, AND I’M TAKING STEPS. I’M PRETTY EXCITED BECAUSE FROM WHERE I WAS TO NOW IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ADDICTION SUPPORT. YOU’RE GOING TO GET HOUSING NAVIGATION, WHICH IS KEY. IF WE DON’T HAVE THESE LIFE CHANGING WRAPAROUND SERVICES, ALL WE’D EVER DO HERE IS WAREHOUSE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMELESSNESS, IN THEIR ADDICTION. OH, I WANT TO DO THAT. COMING IN HERE. WE ALLOW THEM TO. HEY, WOULD YOU LIKE A SHOWER? WOULD YOU LIKE A MEAL BEFORE WE START DOING ALL THAT INTAKE STUFF LIKE SAVE THAT FOR LATER. THE TREBEK CENTER, ONE OF THE MISSION’S 24 SHELTER SITES, IS A CONVERTED SKATING RINK PROGRAM OFFICER LAURA HARWOOD WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT A YOUNG AGE AND HAS LIVED THROUGH TRAUMA SIMILAR TO THE PEOPLE SHELTERED HERE. NOW, BY THE TIME THAT YOU END UP USING DRUGS FOR 22 YEARS, END UP LIVING ON THE STREET IN AND OUT OF PRISON, YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU DO DEVELOP SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH. HOPE CREATED ITS OWN PRIVATE MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITH CLINICIANS AND CASE MANAGERS AT EVERY SITE. HARWOOD ALSO HIRES STAFF FROM PEOPLE THEY’VE HELPED. I’M ALL FOR LIVED EXPERIENCE. IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE SHELTER LIKE A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW EACH OTHER AUTOMATICALLY. THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU’RE BUILDING RAPPORT AND THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT. VAN CLEVE ESTIMATES 80% OF THEIR CLIENTS HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, 30% ARE SEVERE. WHILE THEY STABILIZE THESE RESIDENTS, HE SAYS THE INSTABILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING CREATES A MASSIVE GAP IN SERVICES. HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD NEED? 5 TO $10 MILLION ANNUALLY, BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AREN’T CHEAP. I’VE NEVER BEEN A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN BEATEN AND RAPED ON THE STREET. I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY, HOW MANY TIMES SHE NEEDS TO SIT WITH THE CLINICIAN, A THERAPIST, TO WORK THROUGH THAT SORT OF TRAUMA. BUT I KNOW IT’S GOING TO TAKE A LOT. AND IF WE WERE TO INVEST THAT SORT OF MONEY, I GUARANTEE YOU IT WOULD BE CHEAPER FOR SOCIETY. RATHER THAN RELY ON OVERBURDENED COUNTY SERVICES. THE MISSION HAS TO SEPARATELY RAISE THE FUNDS FOR ITS OWN MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN INCLUDE IN OUR BUDGET TO FUND. YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE FUNDING, AREN’T YOU? YEAH, YEAH. IF I DIDN’T GET THOSE SERVICES, I WOULDN’T BE HERE. PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND SUFFERING, AND IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THESE SERVICES AND SHELTERS, GETTING THEM HERE AND OFF THE STREET IS THE FIRST STEP. GETTING THE SERVICES THEY NEED TO THRIVE AND TO GET HOUSED AS BEAUTIFUL. AND I SEE IT HAPPEN. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH CONCERNS, YOUR DISABILITY. WE’RE TRYING TO FIGHT A WILDFIRE WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND IT’S GOOD. IT’S GOING TO PUT OUT SOME OF THE FIRE. BUT IF WE WANT TO BE WHO WE’RE MEANT TO BE, WE’RE GOING TO NEED SOMETHING BIGGER. IN