On Friday, January 24th, housing advocates and officials from AHF came together for the official ribbon-cutting and dedication of the Valley Haven Hotel. The property was recently purchased and converted into homeless and extremely low-income housing.
Los Angeles County alone has the second-largest homeless population of any region in the United States. When people don’t have access to stable housing, it makes it difficult for them to seek any medical care at all, whether they’re HIV positive or not. That’s why AHF began the Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF) in 2018 to provide stable housing for those in need.
HHF has become a shining example of creating affordable housing quickly and at a low cost. By converting motels into single-room occupancy units, the Healthy Housing Foundation has created over 790 units across eight hotels or motels throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
The Valley Haven Motel ribbon-cutting ceremony included speakers from housing and homeless advocacy associations across the city, including Christopher M. Botten, Director of Operations at the Center for Alcohol & Drug Abuse, Michael Weinstein, President of AHF, Winter Speyer, National Housing Director of the Healthy Housing Foundation, and other notable officials.
“We’re deploying multiple approaches to address the housing and homelessness crises — new construction, micro-units, renovation of existing structures — we’re looking at all possibilities,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF. “The bottom line is we need viable solutions that are economical and fast. Communities can’t wait any longer; the situation is far too dire.”
To find out more about the Healthy Housing Foundation, click here.