A former motel on Ventura Boulevard in Encino is now a 38-bed shelter for young people experiencing homelessness, in a project that has drawn both praise and fierce opposition from residents in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood.
Hope the Mission converted the former Oak Tree Inn motel on Ventura Boulevard into a 26-unit transitional-age youth shelter in Encino. After a contested community process, the city-ordered facility opened to its first residents in August with strict neighborhood safety conditions attached.
A former motel on Ventura Boulevard in Encino is now a 38-bed shelter for young people experiencing homelessness, in a project that has drawn both praise and fierce opposition from residents in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood.
Hope the Mission, a nonprofit based in the Valley, unveiled The Oaks transitional-age youth shelter on Thursday, July 30. The facility occupies the former Oak Tree Inn, a one-story motel that the City of Los Angeles purchased for $7 million and then renovated into 26 units for people ages 18 to 24.
The building holds 38 beds. Men and women are housed separately, and the complex includes a handicapped-accessible unit with a special-access toilet and shower. Standard rooms come with two beds, a private bathroom, and a small motel-style living area.
According to officials, the shelter will also provide meals, case management, housing navigation, mental health support, life skills training, and job placement services. Nearly half of the first group of residents had been part of the foster care or delinquency systems in Los Angeles County, Hope the Mission officials said.
The project has been a flashpoint in Encino for months. A court-ordered settlement agreement, enforceable in Los Angeles Superior Court, set the terms that allow the shelter to operate. Local political figures have said they have no authority to block it.
The agreement includes a list of community protection conditions:
At a lively community meeting attended by residents and local business owners, roughly 400 people worked to prevent the shelter from opening.
Dr. Babak Fatirian, who runs a neighborhood pharmacy, said he was opposed to the project. "We tried to stop that from happening. But we failed. You can't beat the bureaucracy," he said.
The Encino Property Owners Association, which is designated to hold periodic review meetings under the court order, has said it intends to monitor the site closely.
"We intend to keep a close eye on the situation," said Rob Glushon, president of the association. "We hope it succeeds."
Hope the Mission, formerly known as Hope of the Valley, has operated more than 30 shelters across Southern California. Its leader, Ken Craft, said the residents moving into the Oaks are young people who turned 18 without the support of a stable family.
"At age 18, they often face adulthood alone, with few resources and nowhere to turn," Craft said. "We know that people need a second chance, and we are in the business of giving people second chances and third chances. It's amazing how well these people do when they have a place to call home."
Like the organization's other facilities, The Oaks will deliver three meals a day by truck and pair social workers with the residents. Residents will also receive counseling, job placement, anger management, and mental health services.
New figures released recently show an estimated 116,000 people without permanent homes in Los Angeles city and county, up 3.4 percent over the past year.
At a recent open house at the renovated property, two Valley residents who toured the complex, Nina and Michelle, said they were favorably impressed with the plan to provide housing for homeless young people.
Nyquis Morgan, 23, who has been in and out of homelessness since arriving in Southern California, was on hand for the ribbon-cutting. Hope the Mission gave her a place to live and helped her secure a laptop and restart her education.
"They were really understanding about my circumstances. They were really eager to help me," Morgan said. "They are very relatable. They are very accommodating and hospitable. They make sure we get everything we need."
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The first 38 residents are scheduled to move in this month.
This article was generated with AI assistance.